RIYADH, 13 May 2007 — Sri Lanka requested the Kingdom to increase the nation’s Haj quota for the next season in a meeting between a high-level Sri Lankan delegation and Saudi Haj Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy yesterday.
The Sri Lankan delegation included Abdul Hameed Fowzie, minister of petroleum and petroleum resources and minister in charge of Haj affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila, Deputy Tourism Minister Faizer Mustaffa, Islamic Affairs Director Muhammad Ameer and Haj Travel Operator Abdul Cader.
Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq, Consul General Masihudeen Inamullah and SriLankan Airlines Sales Manager for the Western Province Chintaka Bandara also took part in the talks.
“We insist on a minimum quota of 8,000 since a large number of the island’s Muslim population show interest to perform the pilgrimage every year,” Fowzie told Arab News after the talks.
Around seven percent of the island’s 20.2 million population are Muslim. Last year, in response to a special request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Saudi authorities increased the number of Sri Lankan pilgrims from 4,500 to 5,500. He added that despite the increase, another 400 pilgrims who had made preparations for the Haj were left behind.
“Aside from negotiations on the number of pilgrims, the main focus of our meeting with Al-Farsy was to coordinate arrangements for the arrival, mobilization and departure of Sri Lankan pilgrims. ... We also specifically discussed the arrangements that would be made in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah,” Fowzie said. The minister hopes to sign the Haj agreement before he leaves for Colombo on Wednesday.
Fowzie said the Haj operations are streamlined through a network of 52 tour operators. “This year, we have blacklisted 18 errant operators and investigations are under way against three others, whose licenses would be canceled if they were found guilty of the charges leveled against them,” he said.
Bhailah said the delegation did not take up the issue of the Ceylon House in yesterday’s talks. Minister Fowzie had brought the matter to the attention of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during a previous visit.
The Ceylon House in Makkah is a 1,000-square meter three-story structure, which was bought by eight Sri Lankan trustees in 1964 to serve Sri Lankan pilgrims. It is currently under the control of an individual who was originally the building’s caretaker.
The island’s medical team and government officials utilized it until 2005.
Also yesterday, Dr. H.M. Rafeek, vice president of Sri Lankan Expatriates Society in Jeddah, hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting delegation.
