Saudi Arabia offers Haj pilgrimage to Sri Lankan Muslim Tri Forces personnel for first time

For the first time, the Saudi Government has offered Muslim members of Sri Lanka’s Tri Forces a sponsored chance to perform the annual Haj pilgrimage this year (2024).

This opportunity arose following a request by State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon to Saudi Ambassador H.E. Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani. In response, the Saudi Ambassador arranged for five special quotas from the Saudi government.

These five special sponsored quotas are now available to Muslim Tri Forces personnel. State Minister Tennakoon met with Ambassador Alkahtani in Colombo today (June 7) to express gratitude to him and the Saudi Government for providing this unique opportunity.

Ambassador Alkahtani thanked Minister Tennakoon for the request and promised to personally work on increasing the number of quotas for defense personnel in the future. Additionally, he announced that Sri Lankan Muslim defense personnel would also have the chance to perform the ‘Umrah’ pilgrimage moving forward.

He emphasized the Saudi government’s commitment to assisting all communities in Sri Lanka and expressed his eagerness to collaborate with local officials.

Sri Lanka Haj Committee member Milfer Gaffoor and the beneficiary Tri Forces members joined the State Minister on his visit to the Saudi Embassy.