Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia have signed an official bilateral agreement for the 2027 Hajj pilgrimage, granting Sri Lanka a quota of 3,500 pilgrims for the upcoming pilgrimage.
The agreement was signed on November 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the annual Hajj Conference.
Representing the Sri Lankan Government, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffar signed the agreement, while Saudi Arabia was represented by Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdul Fattah bin Sulaiman Mashat.
Under the agreement, Sri Lanka has been allocated an official quota of 3,500 pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj season.
During the visit, the Sri Lankan delegation, led by the Deputy Minister, also met with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah. Discussions were held with officials of the Saudi Ministry regarding arrangements and preparations for the 2027 Hajj pilgrimage.
The meeting was attended by Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ameer Ajwad, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Hajj and Umrah Committee Riaz Mihlar, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Jeddah and former Judge M.T. Mohamed Laffer, Hajj and Umrah Committee member Rushdi Khalid, along with officials from the Sri Lankan Consulate General in Jeddah and other relevant departments.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah conducted a special training programme alongside the annual Hajj Conference to enhance operational standards.
A 10-member Sri Lankan delegation, comprising officials from the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs and representatives of private Hajj organisers, participated in the training programme, representing Sri Lanka.
