MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO- On an intervention by Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry,the Saudi Hajj ministry has approved an additional quota of 140 Hajj permits for Sri Lankan passport holders living abroad and they are going for the pilgrimage with their spouses and relatives living abroad.
The Saudi Hajj ministry granted quota for 3,500 pilgrims this year and also it approved another 35 Lankan foreign passport holders out of the 140 prospective pilgrims.
“ My foreign ministry requested through the regular channels to the Hajj ministry through the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs requesting them to consider granting visas for the 140 pilgrims who were left out,” Minister Ali Sabry told Colombo Times.He added that the granting of additional quota came as a good news around 11 pm on Saturday, June 3.
Meanwhile, Haj Council Chairman Ibrahim Sahib Ansar thanked the foreign minister and the Hajj operators of this development.” Thank you and all those who supported us in our family efforts in this regard.”
Ansar further said : “ Our special thanks to Hon. Ali Sabry, Minister of Foreign Afairs who too helped us in this regard. Isham Hajiar of Amanath Travels and Naufer Hajiar of Asian Travels who have been in Makkah helped us a lot at that end and spent their valuable time for it several days.”
The first batch of Sri Lankan pilgrims is slated to leave Colombo at 10 am on Sunday,June 4. The official send- off was held at the airport in the presence of Saudi ambassador Khalid bin Hamoud Nasser Aldasam Alkahtani , Haj Council Chairman Ibrahim Ansar and Muslim Relgious and Cultural Affairs Director Z A M Faisal and representatives from Hajj Travel operators associations.
Saudi ambassador gifted a copy of the holy Quran to every departing pilgrim., A total of 62 pilgrims left by Emirates airlines.
Minister Sabry sent his greetings and good wishes to all departing pilgrims.
