RIYADH: A senior minister from the Sri Lankan government arrived in Jeddah early this week to ask for an increase in the quota of Haj pilgrims from Colombo.
Sri Lankan senior minister for urban development, Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie said, “I came to make a personal request to Haj Minister Bandar Al-Hajar to increase our quota to 6,245 pilgrims, since the existing quota of 2,800 does not satisfy the demand,” he told Arab News.
Minister Fowzie who handles Sri Lankan Haj affairs said with the end of the ethnic conflict on the island, more Muslims are free to travel and want to perform Haj this year. “If the additional quotas are issued now, we can start processing their travel papers for the upcoming Haj season,” he said.
Last year an additional 1,000 Sri Lankan pilgrims were accepted at the last minute but there was not enough time to prepare them. Haj operators exploit these situations and increase their fees claiming last-minute arrangements cost money.
“Prospective pilgrims are registered with the Department of Haj in Colombo. Pilgrims are selected on a first-come first-served basis and those who do not make the list will be considered next year,” minister Fowzie said.
He said his department asked Haj operators to charge each pilgrim Rs. 4,25000. He warned any agent who charges more will be subject to severe penalties.
Minister Fowzie thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for providing exceptional facilities and services to pilgrims. “There was a time stampede was an annual feature, but now improvements at Jamarat facilitate a smooth flow of pilgrims,” he said.
The Ministry of Rural and Municipal Affairs is expected to implement development projects in the holy sites worth over SR1.4 billion. Two new projects will connect the Aziziyah district with Jamarat via tunnels and another will link the King’s Road to Al-Sharaie district.
Earlier, Haj Minister Al-Hajar said about 80 countries have requested an increase in their Haj pilgrim quota but the ministry has to restrict the number of pilgrims to the availability of accommodation in Mina.
Al-Hajar said according to prophetic teachings, the sacred area of Mina cannot be extended and pilgrims must be housed in the designated area during their stay.