According to local media, Malaysia announced Wednesday that Saudi Arabia had agreed to raise its Hajj quota. As per state news agency Bernama, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Muslim-majority nation’s quota for the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia has been increased by 10,000 pilgrims this year. Muhyiddin said he made the proposal during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace on Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the end of a four-day official visit to the kingdom.

“We will get the additional quota for our pilgrims when the Hajj situation returns to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic,” the premier was quoted as saying by the news agency. He said that the crown prince had agreed to his request and expressed Saudi Arabia’s willingness to accept Malaysian pilgrims. Malaysia’s quota was 31,600 before the increase, according to Tabung Haji, the country’s Hajj institution.

Riyadh determines each country’s Hajj quota based on its total population. Kuala Lumpur and Riyad signed an agreement during Muhyiddin’s visit to the Kingdom to ease and simplify various travel and logistical processes for Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Muslims may make the Umrah, or Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, at any time of the year. He mentioned airport arrangements, visa and passport checks, and customs procedures as examples of these processes.

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