SINGAPORE (Commonwealth Union) _ The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) claims 900 places for the annual Haj pilgrimage this year, in Singapore, has been filed up by eligible pilgrims.
All 900 slots for the haj for Muslim pilgrims in the Republic have been snapped up, as an additional 54,000 people wait their turn to go on the annual pilgrimage.
Singapore was also given an allocation of 900 places for the pilgrimage last year. In 2022, the allocation was initially 407 places, with that figure subsequently increased.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or Muis, said on 8th January that the Republic was granted 900 places for 2024.
It had notified prospective pilgrims from 29th November, 2023, after Saudi Arabia introduced an early-notice system for the first time.
With the early notice, pilgrims are able to arrange for the caregiving of their loved ones, apply for leave, and prepare for their visit to Mecca, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in a Facebook post on 8th January.
He said “For those who have not been selected, I hope you will not despair. Rest assured that we will continue to work with the Saudi authorities to review Singapore’s request for more haj places.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, signed the Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah while attending the Hajj and Umrah Exhibition and Conference in Jeddah.
Mr Masagos, who is also the Minister for Social and Family Development, is presently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Haj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition.
Mr Masagos said in a Facebook post on Monday that MUIS contacted potential pilgrims last month via the MyHajSG portal.
“They received their offer letters to perform Haj this year and the early notice has enabled them to plan ahead, such as applying for leave, arranging caregiving needs for their loved ones as well as preparing themselves physically, financially and spiritually for the journey,” he added.
MUIS said that individuals were contacted according to their queue position in the Advance Haj Registration System (AHRS).
All prospective pilgrims have also confirmed their places and purchased their Haj packages from authorised travel agents.
MUIS said following this, there now remains a balance of 54,000 pilgrims still awaiting their turn in the AHRS.
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MUIS expressed its “deepest appreciation” to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Singapore Muslim community, for its “efforts and strong commitment to enhance the welfare and safety of pilgrims while performing the fifth pillar of Islam”.
Since last year, registrations for the Haj have been conducted through the MyHajSG portal. Each registration includes an application fee.
From 1st January 2024 until 31st December 2025, the application fee is at S$285 per applicant, according to the MUS website. The fee will be increased to S$330 from 1st January, 2026.
These figures do not include prevailing Goods & Services Tax (GST) charges, said MUIS.
Since 2018, Singapore has been allocated 900 places annually. Muis did not send any pilgrims for the haj in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It introduced the MyHajSG portal In 2023, which did away with the need for prospective pilgrims to register in person.
The online registration system instead, uses Singpass, in a bid for greater convenience.
While the process has been made easier, the cost of performing the haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is expected to increase.
In 2023, Muslim pilgrims had to pay $1,500 more, on average, compared with the last five years.
The average package price per person was approximately $14,150, excluding emergency medical assistance and airfare. The cheapest package was about $8,490.
The application fee for the haj increased at the same time, from $240 pre-pandemic to $285 in 2024.
This will remain the case until the end of 2025, before the fee is further increased to $330 from 2026. These amounts exclude the goods and services tax.
