Missing Maldivian Hajj pilgrim found dead near Jabal al-Nour

The Maldivian Hajj pilgrim who went missing has been found dead.

The deceased has been identified as Mohamed Naseem Ali, 72, and native to Maakurathu island of Raa atoll.

Naseem travelled for the Hajj pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year through Al Haramain Hajj and Umrah Group.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir Ali revealed that Naseem's body was discovered near Jabal al-Nour, a mountain region in Mecca, in the early hours of Friday.

After the discovery of his body, the hajj group he was traveling with was informed, following which the group’s doctor and leaders headed to the area he was found, and took his body to the hospital.

Group officials are to have gone to the hospital and confirmed if it was the missing Maldivian pilgrim according to the minister, who added that to further confirm his identity, Naseem’s wife was also summoned to the hospital to help identify the body.

Naseem was with the group a day before Hajj Day and that he went missing after the group left for Mount Arafat.

Late Mohamed Naseem went missing after leaving his tent in Mina, on the eighth night of Hajj.

Efforts to locate Naseem were being carried out jointly by the Maldives Hajj Mission, Maldives Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Al Haramain group, in cooperation with Saudi authorities.

According to his family, Naseem had performed hajj pilgrimage twice before.

There have been incidences of Maldivian pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah, going missing and losing their way. To prevent such incidents, pilgrims are now given a card that carries the information required to contact their hajj group, in case they go missing or lose their way.