Sri Lanka has been allocated an official quota of 3,500 pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj season under a bilateral agreement signed with Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.
The agreement was signed on 9 November on the sidelines of the annual Hajj Conference, NewsFirst reported.
Muneer Mulaffer, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, signed for Sri Lanka. His counterpart was Dr Abdulfatah bin Sulaiman Mashat, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah.
The wider visit
The Sri Lankan delegation also held talks with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah and other senior ministry officials, focused on arrangements and preparations for the 2027 pilgrimage and on coordination between the two countries as logistics and services are planned.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah ran a training programme aimed at raising operational standards for Hajj management. Sri Lanka was represented by a 10-member delegation of officials from the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs and representatives of private Hajj organisers.
Why the quota matters
Saudi Arabia allocates Hajj places to each country by quota, and the figure determines how many Sri Lankan Muslims can perform the pilgrimage in a given year. Settling it this early gives pilgrims and licensed operators time to arrange travel, accommodation and payment before the season.
Sourcing note
This report rests on a single verified newsroom. No other verified Sri Lankan or international outlet had filed on the agreement at the time of writing.
Not reported
The filing does not compare the 3,500 figure with Sri Lanka’s quota in previous years, say how places will be distributed among applicants or operators, or give the dates of the 2027 Hajj season.
