quota
DOHA • Hopes of several Muslims aspiring to go for the Haj from Qatar this year remain shattered as registration for the pilgrimage closed earlier than expected. The registration started only two weeks ago.
Enquiries with several Haj tour operators (Muqawils) revealed that all their seats were fully booked. Each Muqawil was allotted a specific quota by Qatar's Haj Committee. There are Muqawils authorized for arranging the journey by air or by road but there are no places available in any of them, it is learnt.
Sources from the Haj Committee told The Peninsula yesterday that the Muqawils had no other option but to close the registration once their quota was filled. The late comers might have been affected because there were already many people on the waiting list. The issue started actually last year, after Saudi authorities imposed a major cut in the pilgrims' quota allotted for Qatar.
The quota remains the same this year, which is now almost filled. “There are people who are not aware of the situation and who may lose the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage this year,” the sources said.
Enquiries with several Haj tour operators (Muqawils) revealed that all their seats were fully booked. Each Muqawil was allotted a specific quota by Qatar's Haj Committee. There are Muqawils authorized for arranging the journey by air or by road but there are no places available in any of them, it is learnt.
Sources from the Haj Committee told The Peninsula yesterday that the Muqawils had no other option but to close the registration once their quota was filled. The late comers might have been affected because there were already many people on the waiting list. The issue started actually last year, after Saudi authorities imposed a major cut in the pilgrims' quota allotted for Qatar.
The quota remains the same this year, which is now almost filled. “There are people who are not aware of the situation and who may lose the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage this year,” the sources said.
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