Amman, Sept. 15 (Petra) --Minister of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, Mohammad Khalayleh, on Tuesday discussed ways to boost cooperation and exchange expertise in Hajj and endowments with the United Arab Emirates' Islamic affairs chief.

Khalayleh, who also chairs the Hajj Fund's board of directors, received Omar Habtoor Al-Darai, chairman of the UAE's General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat, alongside the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, the Emirati delegation reviewed the Hajj Fund's savings and investment model, its pilgrim services, and its mechanisms used to manage depositors' funds.

Officials also briefed the delegation on the fund's e-services and financing and investment programs, citing growth in depositor numbers, savings volume and investment returns.

Khalayleh, in turn, called for exchanging expertise among institutions handling Hajj affairs, saying it strengthens the broader system and improves services for pilgrims. He described the Hajj Fund as a pioneering model for Hajj savings and Shariah-compliant investment of depositors' funds.

Hajj Fund Director General Fouad Kouri, said the fund is "keen" to deepen cooperation with counterpart institutions across Arab and Islamic countries, drawing on "successful" experiences to develop its tools, improve services and boost investment efficiency.

The two sides also discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen joint future coordination and cooperation.

//Petra// NQ