Malaysia wants to add 10,000 more Haj quotas as Tabung Haji strengthens ties with Saudi Arabia

Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) issued a statement today stating that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, requested this during a recent courtesy visit to the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfig Fawzan Al-Rabiah, in Jeddah.

The Saudi Arabian government organized the annual Symposium and Hajj Exhibition 1446H, which was held at the Superdome in Jeddah from January 13 to 16 in conjunction with the official meeting.

The event was a platform for the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to share aspirations for the Haj administration, and it brought together Haj and Umrah operators from various countries.

Malaysia’s delegation, as per TH, consisted of senior TH management representatives, TH Group managing director and chief executive officer Syed Hamadah Syed Othman, and TH chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain.

The statement also stated that the delegates had the opportunity to meet with numerous representatives of Haj operators and Hajj Affairs Offices from other countries to exchange views and share insights on how to enhance the delivery of Haj services in their respective countries.

TH also reported that Malaysia and the Saudi Arabian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Hajj Affairs during the meeting. The purpose of the MoU is to enhance strategic cooperation, with a particular emphasis on Haj administration for the 1446H/2025M season.

Mohd Na’im, representing the Malaysian government, and Dr. Tawfig Fawzan, representing Saudi Arabia, signed the memorandum.

Malaysia’s official Haj quota of 31,600 pilgrims for the 1446H/2025M season and Malaysia’s commitment to comply with guidelines regarding arrivals and departures through Madinah and Jeddah airports are among the agreements outlined in the MoU.

Furthermore, Malaysia consented to the earlier completion of all contracts with the various parties in Saudi Arabia to facilitate the administration of pilgrims in the holy land.

Mohd Na’im stated in the statement that the memorandum is indicative of the government and TH’s dedication to delivering the highest quality services to pilgrims during this Haj season.

“We have successfully finalized an agreement that serves to reinforce the long-standing close relationship between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, Alhamdulillah.”

“This is a continuous endeavor by the government and TH to improve the quality of TH’s services in the holy land through collaboration with various Saudi parties and to enhance the overall management of Malaysian Haj pilgrims,” he stated.