President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed have departed for Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.
They are accompanied by a delegation of government Ministers and officials.
The delegation include the Minister of Finance and Planning, Moosa Zameer; the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel, and his spouse; the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation, Abdulla Rafiu, and his spouse; the Chief Imam of the Islamic Centre, Sheikh Mohamed Latheef, and his spouse; as well as the Chief of Protocol, Mohamed Shahudy.
The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting the delegation during their stay.
Yesterday, President Muizzu lauded the Hajj Pilgrimage arrangements for the year, stating that they were exemplary.
Discussing the topic, the President detailed the efforts made to organise the Hajj Pilgrimage. He emphasised that, under the newly introduced Makkah Route Initiative, pilgrims could directly proceed to their hotels upon arrival. He added that high-standard accommodation facilities had been arranged for their stay in Mina, and that transport from Makkah to Medina would be via high-speed trains, taking approximately two hours.
The President stated that these facilities had been arranged through close collaboration with the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He emphasised that this demonstrates the priority given by the Saudi Arabian government to facilitate ease for Maldivian pilgrims. The President expressed gratitude to the Saudi King and Crown Prince on behalf of the Maldivian people and himself for this compassionate gesture, highlighting the close and friendly relations between the two nations.
