An audio leak of an official believed to be from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has revealed that he carries considerable influence in the services extended by Umrah pilgrimage agents. 

In the audio, the official is heard saying that he has enough connections to establish and license Umrah agents at any given time. He is then heard saying that he has established four Umrah agencies for a man named ‘Hiyali’. 

The official is further heard saying that he is currently in the process of establishing one such agency for a colleague of his and that he can authorize and expedite the formation of agencies at will. 

When one seeming recipient of his remarks asks the official about the fate of an agency, likely operated by the inquirer himself, the official says that the licenses of all agencies would soon be dissolved. 

The official then says that the Ministry would only accept agencies that propose a bid of over MVR 500,000.  

He adds that currently, agencies can acquire ‘temporary’ licenses, and that this was done to allow agencies to conduct moon-sightings for the month of Ramadan. 

The official adds that these temporary licenses will be dissolved in favour of the more profitable bidding process.