SINGAPORE – All 900 Haj slots have been booked by Muslim pilgrims, with another 54,000 waiting their turn for the annual pilgrimage.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) announced on January 8 that Singapore will have 900 priesthoods by 2024.
Saudi Arabia became the first country to introduce an early notification system, informing those planning to make the pilgrimage from November 29, 2023.
Islamic Affairs Minister Masagos Zulkifli said in a Facebook post on January 8 that the early notification will allow pilgrims to apply for leave, arrange care for loved ones and prepare to visit Mecca. Stated.
“For those who are not selected, please do not despair. Rest assured that we will continue to work with the Saudi authorities to consider Singapore’s request to increase the number of Haj sites,” he said.
Masagos, who is also the Minister of Social and Family Development, is currently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj and Umrah service conference and exhibition.
Singapore has been allocated 900 places each year since 2018. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Muis did not send pilgrims to perform the Hajj in 2020 and 2021.
In 2023, we introduced the MyHajSG portal, which eliminates the need for aspiring pilgrims to register directly.
Instead, our online registration system uses Singpass for added convenience.
Although the process has become easier, the cost of performing hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is expected to increase.
In 2023, Muslim pilgrims had to pay an average of $1,500 more than in the previous five years.
The average package price per person, excluding emergency medical assistance and airfare, was approximately $14,150. The cheapest package was around $8,490.
At the same time, the Hajj application fee increased from $240 before the pandemic to $285 in 2024.
This will last until the end of 2025 and increase further to $330 excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 2026.