President and First Lady depart on hajj pilgrimage

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed departed for Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning, for the annual hajj pilgrimage.

They were accompanied by Finance Minister Moosa Zameer, Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel and his spouse, Sports Minister Abdulla Rafiu and his spouse, Chief Imam of Islamic Center Sheikh Mohamed Latheef and his spouse, and Chief of Protocol Mohamed Shahudhee.

According to the President’s Office, the first couple and the rest of the delegation are being hosted by the Saudi government.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims who are able to.

The pilgrimage occurs annually between the eighth and 13th days of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and final month on the Islamic lunar calendar.

Worshippers take part in four days of ceremonies with the high point coming on the second day with mass outdoor prayers on Mount Arafat, the hill where the Prophet Mohamed delivered his last sermon.

This year, the day of Arafat will fall on June 5, followed by Eid al-Adha on June 6.

Hundreds of Maldivian hajj pilgrims departed for Saudi Arabia this week.

This year, hajj pilgrims received an extra USD 1,750 allowance on debit cards by the national bank, on top of the existing dollar limit of USD 250.

But with the additional allowance, hajj pilgrims will be able to make USD 2,000 in transactions.

They will also have access to the USD 500 available for sale from BML at the bank rate for outbound Maldivian travelers.

The Maldives has also been added to the Makkah Route Initiative this year, which means pilgrims can complete immigration procedures of both countries at the Velana International Airport before leaving for Saudi Arabia.

This eliminates waiting time at Jeddah airport and allows pilgrims to directly go to their hotels with their luggage.