The Islamic Ministry has said the Maldives received 453 quotas for the Hajj pilgrimage this year.
Saudi Arabia's Hajj and Umrah Ministry had earlier announced that the Kingdom would accommodate one million pilgrims for this year's Hajj. While over two million pilgrims were accommodated before the COVID-19 pandemic, the revised figure affects the number of quotas issued to countries.
In this regard, Saudi Arabia has informed that the Maldives will receive 453 quotas. This is the least number of slots the Maldives has received in recent history.
The most quotas were given to Indonesia, a country with a large Muslim population. The country received over 100,000 quotas.
Maldives Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Zahir said that although the Maldives received fewer quotas, the government would try to negotiate for more slots.
Saudi Arabia has set restrictions for those eligible to perform Hajj this year. In this regard, pilgrims must be fit and healthy and must not be over 65 years of age. They must have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine accepted by the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry also requires pilgrims to hold a negative PCR test.
