First Hajj Pilgrims of 2026 Depart the Island

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The first group of pilgrims departed from Sri Lanka for Mecca tonight to perform the sacred Hajj pilgrimage for the year 2026. 

The Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs has announced that 3,500 individuals have been granted the opportunity to perform the sacred Hajj pilgrimage this year (2026).

Accordingly, the first group consisting of 325 pilgrims departed for Mecca today.

To see them off, several dignitaries were present at the airport, including Deputy Speaker Rizwi Salley, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khalid bin Hamoud Al-Kahtani, the Chairman of the Hajj Committee, and officials from the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs.