The Maldives Hajj Corporation, the state-owned enterprise mandated to facilitate the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, has experienced a significant resurgence of public trust over the past two years, according to Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel. He attributed the shift to a comprehensive overhaul of service standards, which he said has enabled the corporation to fulfil its founding mandate of delivering the highest quality pilgrimage services. Citizens, he noted, have acknowledged the realisation of these objectives.
Speaking on a programme aired on PSM News, Shakeel said the corporation has experienced a marked increase in public confidence in its operations. Despite the presence of numerous private companies offering Umrah services in the country, he observed that a substantial share of the public now chooses the state corporation irrespective of price, prioritising the superior quality of service provided. Upon assuming leadership, Shakeel identified the elevation of service standards as his foremost objective, ensuring the corporation remained true to its original purpose. The services now offered by the Hajj Corporation have earned public reliance and are increasingly regarded as a benchmark for other operators in the sector.
Shakeel described his vision of the corporation as an industry leader rather than a competitor merely keeping pace with the market. He pointed to logistical improvements that have reshaped operational norms across the sector.
“I believe that as the Hajj Corporation is a state-owned enterprise, we should not be in the position of following others; rather, we must be the ones setting the trends,” Shakeel said. “To cite an example, when I assumed leadership of the corporation, not a single Hajj or Umrah group in the Maldives was utilising train services. However, once we began utilising train transit between Makkah and Madinah, the demand became evident, and numerous other groups have since commenced using these services”.
The managing director stressed that the corporation has succeeded in enhancing service quality manifold without increasing the costs borne by the public. He suggested that previous administrations had the opportunity to implement similar improvements but failed to do so, attributing this stagnation to a lack of sincerity among former leadership figures regarding the provision of services. Looking ahead to the current pilgrimage season, Shakeel confirmed that comprehensive arrangements are in place to ensure that all individuals undertaking Hajj and Umrah through the corporation this year will receive high-quality care and support.