Starting from this year, Hajj pilgrims will travel from Makkah to Madinah by high-speed rail, according to Hajj Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel. While the high-speed rail will be used for travel between Makkah and Madinah during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, Hajj Corporation also uses this service for their Umrah trips. Speaking at the ceremony to inaugurate the Makkah Route Initiative, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu revealed that from this year onwards, Maldivian Hajj pilgrims will travel by high-speed rail.
In a post shared on social media regarding this matter, Hajj Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel said that previously, Maldivian Hajj pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage used to make the journey between Makkah and Madinah in 8 to 10 hours. However, with the President’s decision to use high-speed rail for these trips, from this year onwards, pilgrims will travel from Makkah to Madinah by high-speed rail. As a result, the travel time will be reduced to 2 hours, and Shakeel also stated that this would be a great relief for pilgrims even after completing their Hajj rituals.
In an interview given to PSM News, Hajj Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel said that they began working on arranging travel by high-speed rail as soon as the President announced that such arrangements would be made. Shakeel said that they have already entered pilgrims’ names into the system and have worked on purchasing tickets. “We will implement the President’s decision this time. This is also a new change. Previously, Maldivian Hajj pilgrims always traveled by bus, which was difficult. However, with the President’s decision, we are now prepared to implement this in cooperation with Saudi Arabia,” said Hajj Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel.
The government continues to work on arranging matters to make things easier and more convenient for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj. As such, while Maldivian Hajj pilgrims previously had to stay in category “C” tents in Mina, from this year onwards, Maldivian pilgrims will stay in category “B”. Additionally, a registered clinic has been established in the hotel where pilgrims are staying this time.
