All Maldivian Hajj Pilgrims Return Home After Pilgrimage

All Maldivian pilgrims who travelled to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage have returned home following the arrival of the final group in Malé on Wednesday night.

The last group, consisting of 261 pilgrims, arrived on a flight operated by Maldivian. The flight departed directly from Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina and landed at Velana International Airport at approximately 10:40pm.

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Pilgrims were welcomed by family members upon arrival. Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), together with other relevant agencies, assisted with the arrival process, including baggage handling and logistical arrangements.

Each group of Maldivian pilgrims spent around three weeks in Saudi Arabia, including time in Mecca and a two-day stay in Medina. According to the Maldives Hajj Mission, this year’s Hajj operations were conducted by the Maldives Hajj Corporation without major disruptions.

Pilgrims also benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative, which allowed them to complete immigration procedures in the Maldives before departure. The arrangement enabled pilgrims to proceed directly to their accommodation upon arrival in Saudi Arabia without undergoing further immigration processing at Jeddah airport.

Saudi authorities allocate 1,000 Hajj slots annually to the Maldives. Pilgrims are selected through an established queue system after completing the required payments.

Officials stated that this year’s Hajj pilgrimage was successfully carried out in accordance with the existing regulations and procedures.