Hajj Corporation flies 28 out of 110 stranded umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

Maldives Hajj Corporation has arranged the pilgrimage of some of the 110 pilgrims who were affected by the lastminute cancellation of their umrah trip on Tuesday by private travel group, Al Abrar.

The 110 pilgrims, who paid around MVR 45,000 to Al Abrar to embark on umrah pilgrimage the last 15 days of Ramadan, were supposed to fly out to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night, but had their trip cancelled at the last minute.

The case is under investigation by both the police and the Islamic Ministry.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Hajj Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel said many of the affected pilgrims had asked them for assistance.

Shakeel said that the Hajj Corporation was able to accommodate only 28 pilgrims at this time, and had therefore arranged visa, accommodation in Mecca and Medina, and food and travel for 28 of the affected pilgrims who asked for assistance.

“28 individuals left this morning on umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on a flight operated by Maldivian,” he wrote.

މި އަހަރުގެ ބަރަކާތްތެރި رَمَضَان މަހު ޢުމްރާގެ އަޅުކަމަށް ގެންދާނެ ކަމަށް ބުނެ އަމިއްލަ ޢުމްރާ ގްރޫޕަކުން ގިނަ ބައެއްގެ އަތުން ފައިސާ ނެގުމަށްފަހު ޢުމްރާގެ އިންތިޒާމުތައް ހަމަޖައްސާފައި ނުވާތީ އިއްޔެ ހަވީރުގެ ވަގުތެއްގައި މީގެ ތެރެއިން ގިނަ ބައެއްގެ އެދިލެއްވުމުގެމަތިން…

— Mohamed Shakeel ???????? (@schakyyl) March 4, 2026

A spokesperson from Hajj Corporation told Sun that close to 600 people have booked with the corporation to perform umrah this Ramadan.

There’s therefore space for only 28 more people in the corporation’s hotel, said the spokesperson.

Total 110 pilgrims under the charge of Al Abrar were scheduled to take a flight to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night. The pilgrims were initially instructed to bring their luggage to the airport between 10:00 am and 11:00 am, but were later asked to bring them again closer to departure time.

They were then summoned for an emergency meeting at 2:00 pm, and told that the trip had been cancelled.

 Organizers reportedly cited the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as the reason for the cancellation.

Some of the affected pilgrims gathered outside the group’s office in Male’ on Tuesday night to protest the lastminute cancellation and demand a refund.

A young man who paid to send his parents on umrah told Sun that the group began refunding the pilgrims on Tuesday night. According to the source, the group has refunded the money after deducting the MVR 15,000 flight ticket cost, but assures the pilgrims that they will also refund the ticket cost soon.