Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited (MHCL) is a fully government-owned company. It was formed in 2013 under a presidential decree, with the main aim of providing citizens with an affordable means of Hajj pilgrimage in the Maldives.
Hajj pilgrimage is one of the primary tenets of Islam. It is a mandatory religious duty that every physically and financially capable Muslim must fulfil throughout their lifetimes. The goal of Hajj Corporation is to ensure accessibility to pilgrimage for as many Maldivians as possible.
“Over the years leading up to MHCL’s inception, there had been a wave of undesirable incidents taking place with regards to Hajj and Umrah arrangements,” said Ismail Hameed, the Managing Director of Hajj Corporation.
“Fraudulent activity and scams were on the rise, which consequently eroded public confidence in the institutions providing pilgrimage services. MHCL was formed to build up that trust once more, by offering a way for citizens to keep their funds secure, and carry out their pilgrimage without any worries. Since our formation, I believe we have delivered on that front very well.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, a number of restrictions have been placed on global movement in an attempt to halt the virus in its tracks. As a result, Hajj and Umrah arrangements have had to be put on hold as well. Typically, Hajj Corporation plans three Umrah trips annually, apart from the yearly Hajj pilgrimage. This year, unfortunately, they all have had to be cancelled.
“Because of the restrictions caused by the pandemic, we were unable to proceed with any of the planned Umrah trips this year,” Ismail Hameed stated. “During the planned Umrah in March, the night that our advance team landed in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi borders closed due to the pandemic. Despite having made all the arrangements for the trip, it had to be cancelled and our team had to be brought back to the Maldives. Undoubtedly, the pandemic has had severe impacts on our corporation.”
In the long term, however, Ismail Hameed envisions a much brighter future. “Not only do we want to provide pilgrimage arrangements at lower costs, but we also want to bring up the standards of Hajj and Umrah in the Maldives. This applies to both the pilgrimage itself, and the service standards provided by the company.”
According to him, as MHCL sets higher standards for pilgrimage in the Maldives, it would pave the way for other companies in this industry to follow suit. “I would like to proudly note that Hajj Corporation has an unparalleled track record of providing excellent services to Maldivians,” said Ismail Hameed. “We will continue to do so in the future.”
Apart from arranging Hajj and Umrah trips, the corporation also invests its efforts to spread awareness about Islam and pilgrimage within our society.
For more information about Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited, visit their website or contact them at +960 3011000.
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