S’pore gets 900 haj slots in 2025, requests for higher quota
Saudi Arabia has granted 900 slots for Singaporeans to perform the haj pilgrimage in 2025, under an agreement reached between both sides.
Singapore has asked for additional slots as well, and the Saudi authorities have said they will consider this, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in a Facebook post on Jan 13.
The agreement was inked after a meeting with Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah in Jeddah, said Mr Masagos, in which the two reaffirmed the strong ties between the two countries.
Mr Masagos also expressed his gratitude to Dr Tawfiq and the Saudi government for their hospitality and support for Singaporean pilgrims. He added that the Saudi Health Ministry has approved the Singapore Pilgrims’ Affairs Office’s application to operate on-site medical clinics to support Singaporean pilgrims in Mecca.
In 2024, some 1,300 pilgrims died in an intense heatwave – when temperatures soared to 51.8 deg C in Saudi Arabia – during the haj pilgrimage. Saudi officials said 83 per cent of the recorded fatalities did not have official haj permits, and this meant they did not have access to amenities to make the weather more bearable, such as air-conditioned tents.
No Singaporean was among the casualties.
“Given that (the haj) this year is also going to be during the summer, (Dr Tawfiq) has advised that our pilgrims take proper precautions and preparations for the haj pilgrimage,” said Mr Masagos.
He also reassured Singaporeans who were not selected for the haj in 2025 that the Government would work closely with its Saudi counterparts to explore opportunities to increase the future quota for Singaporean pilgrims.
“(Dr Tawfiq) has taken it into consideration and will respond to us appropriately and at a time that is available,” he said.
Mr Masagos is on the second leg of his trip to the Middle East, and travelled to Jeddah from Egypt.
In Cairo, he met Egyptian officials, with whom he had discussions on the Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) – which will open its doors in 2028 – and religious education development.
He said the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Nazir Ayyad from Dar al-Ifta – the country’s Islamic advisory body – and Professor Salama Dawood, president of Al-Azhar University, accepted Singapore’s invitation to join SCIS’ advisory panel.
Said Mr Masagos: “The advisory panel will play a critical role in advising on curriculum development, addressing emerging global trends impacting contemporary religious issues, and identifying strategic areas for research and education in Singapore, among others.”
On his trip, Mr Masagos also met Singaporean students pursuing Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and the Islamic University of Madinah.
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