MAURITIUS is soon to open its missions in the Kingdom to upgrade its diplomatic and trade ties with Saudi Arabia, according to a senior minister of the island nation.
“We have submitted our request to the highest Saudi authorities and are awaiting their approval to allow us to open our missions here,” Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius Showkutally Soodhun told Saudi Gazette in an exclusive interview in Jeddah on Thursday.
At present Mauritius Embassy in Cairo covers Saudi Arabia.
“There are many reasons we need our missions here, foremost of which are Haj and Umrah,” said the minister, adding that more than 4,000 people visit Saudi Arabia every year for Haj and Umrah from Mauritius, where Muslims constitute 20 percent of the population.
One of the main purposes of Showkutally's visit has been to request the Ministry of Haj to raise the Haj quota for pilgrims from Mauritius.
Showkutally met Haj Minister Bandar Al-Hajjar, who gave him “a patient hearing.”
“We are very thankful to him for considering our request. We will abide by whatever decision the Saudi authorities take,” said Showkutally, who has been looking after the Haj issues for the past 20 years.
“In 1989, our prime minister requested the late King Fahd to raise the quota to 2,500. But in 2005, the quota was reduced to 1,800. Then again in 2010, it was further reduced to 1,000,” the minister said, adding that there is a backlog of more than 4,000 applications.
He, however, said that he fully understands the decision to cut Haj quotas because of the massive expansion work going on in and around the Grand Mosque and other holy sites. The other purpose of Showkutally's visit to the Kingdom is to promote and upgrade trade ties between the two countries.
“I had a fruitful meeting with Saudi businessmen, whom I have invited to invest in Mauritius, which is a duty free island offering investment opportunities in the tourism and infrastructure sectors.
“Mauritius has conducive investment climate and offers fiscal and non-fiscal incentives like land availability, visa free entry etc.,” said Showkutally, who is also the minister of housing and land. He said Mauritius imports Pepsi cans from the Kingdom and exports butter.
The minister said his government is also planning to promote tourism. “It is a family destination, which offers halal food,” he said, adding that 4,000 Saudis visited Mauritius last year.
Mauritius has a sizable Muslim population. It has 229 mosques. The Indian Ocean island nation, which is a gateway to Africa, offers subsidies to imams and to madrasa teachers.
