The final ten days of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan have been declared official holidays, starting next year, the government has announced. This announcement was made by Mohamed Shahyb, the Chief Spokesperson at the President’s Office, during a media briefing.
The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting presided over by President Mohamed Muizzu. This move is in line with a promise made by Muizzu during his presidential campaign, where he committed to providing citizens with greater opportunities to engage in religious activities during Ramadan. “From this day forward, the concluding ten days of each Ramadan will be recognised as government holidays,” Shahyb declared at the press briefing.
In another decision, the cabinet has addressed the issue of certain private travel companies exploiting pilgrims by charging exorbitant fees for Hajj travel and accommodation arrangements. To counter this, the cabinet decided to allocate the entire Hajj quota granted to the Maldives by Saudi Arabian to the state-owned Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC). The MHC, established in 2013, is mandated to provide easy access to Hajj services at affordable rates.
This decision would bring immense benefits and ease to the registered pilgrims, Shahyb stated. This move comes in the wake of widespread public concern regarding the high charges imposed by private Hajj service companies.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed had earlier expressed the government’s intention to allocate the entire Hajj quota to MHC, criticising private companies for treating Hajj services as a profit-making business. “The companies are charging exorbitantly for Hajj pilgrimage… This is a significant burden for the people. We must explore alternative options,” Dr Saeed said.
Last year, the government received a Hajj quota of 1,000, of which 270 were issued to private companies. The remaining quota was earmarked for MHC.
