Vice President Faisal Naseem has been appointed as the Amir al-Hajj for this year.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed VP Naseem as Amir al-Hajj of 2023, on Sunday.

As the Amir al-Hajj, the Vice President would ensure the smooth and safe operation of the Maldivian pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia.

The President's Office notes that the administration accords high priority to the secure and smooth conduct of the Hajj pilgrimage. All necessary actions are taken to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims.

Maldives has been allocated a quota of 1,000 pilgrims this year.

The opportunity to send pilgrims for the hajj pilgrimage this year was given to three private companies alongside Maldives Hajj Corporation.

Maldivian Hajj pilgrims will be departing to Saudi Arabia starting, 12 June, 2023.

Earlier in May, VP Naseem met with senior officials from the institutions responsible for overseeing the administration of Hajj this year. During the meeting, discussions were held on ensuring good methods through which the smooth transportation for Hajj pilgrims this year, can be arranged.

VP Naseem expressed gratitude to the relevant institutions for their valuable cooperation and support in successfully organizing the transportation of the pilgrims to the Velana International Airport (VIA) over the past four years, which he described as very admirable.

Noting that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has assigned him with overseeing and closely monitoring the preparations for this year's Hajj season to ensure its smooth execution, VP Naseem stated that a dedicated committee will be established to supervise the preparations and operations, just like previous years.

Further, VP Naseem also shed light on the commitment to facilitate hassle-free transportation for Hajj pilgrims.

Arrangements including buses, ferries, and speedboats are to be made to utilize transportation services from Malé, Hulhumalé, and Villingili to transport Hajj pilgrims to the airport.