The Islamic Ministry has fined licensed Umrah tour operator Al Hijra Travel and Tours MVR 100,000 after 24 Maldivian pilgrims, including five children and a tour guide, were left stranded in Saudi Arabia in December. The group, which had traveled to perform Umrah under Al Hijra’s care, remains unable to return to the Maldives.

All 24 stranded individuals are now under the care of Maldives Hajj Corporation, a state-owned enterprise responsible for facilitating Hajj and Umrah trips. The Islamic Ministry revealed that Al Hijra had confessed to misusing funds collected from the pilgrims, which were supposed to cover return airfare. Despite upfront payment of MVR 28,500 per person—fees inclusive of airfare—the company failed to arrange return tickets for the group.

The stranded pilgrims had been scheduled to return last Sunday, but no flights were booked. Following public outcry on social media, Al Hijra issued a statement attributing the incident to poor financial management.

In response to the incident, the Islamic Ministry has implemented five key actions:

1. Permit Suspension: Al Hijra's license to operate Umrah tours has been suspended.


2. Monetary Fine: The company has been fined MVR 100,000.


3. Operational Ban: The ministry will not issue permits to Al Hijra or any other company owned by its shareholders.


4. Cost Recovery: Expenses incurred by the Maldivian government for repatriating the pilgrims will be recovered from Al Hijra.


5. Criminal Investigation: The matter will be referred to Maldives Police Service for further investigation and potential criminal charges.

The Islamic Ministry emphasized its commitment to enforcing these measures swiftly through administrative and legal channels.

This is not the first instance of Maldivian pilgrims being stranded in Saudi Arabia. During Ramadan last year, a similar case occurred involving Al-Mashar Tours, which resulted in the Maldivian government intervening to repatriate stranded pilgrims. That case has since been forwarded for prosecution following a criminal investigation.

Al Hijra Travel and Tours is operated by two individuals, Firaq Mohamedfulhu and Mustafa Mohamedfulhu, both hailing from Lh. Naifaru. Many of the affected pilgrims in this incident are reportedly from the same island.

The Islamic Ministry has reiterated its stance on ensuring accountability and preventing such incidents in the future to safeguard the welfare of Maldivian pilgrims.