– Abdul Bari Masoud
8 January 2024
On Sunday, India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) signed the traditional bilateral Haj agreement for 2024. As a result, 1,75,025 Indian pilgrims were finalized for the Haj, with 1,40,020 seats set aside for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India. Out of this, 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.
The Indian Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani, accompanied by V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, in Jeddah, KSA.
There is no increase in the Haj quota for India. A total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalized for Haj 2024, with 1,40,020 seats reserved for pilgrims to proceed through the Haj Committee of India, which will greatly benefit the common first-time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024, whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.
The KSA side expressed great appreciation for the digital initiatives of the Indian government in facilitating and promoting ease and convenience for Indian Haj pilgrims by providing last-mile information and pledged to provide all possible assistance in this regard during the meeting with the Minister of Hajj and Umrah. It was discussed, highly valued, and praised how the Government of India is encouraging participation through the Ladies without Mehram (LWM) category.
Following the bilateral Haj Agreement signing and meeting with the KSA Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Smriti Zubin Irani, accompanied by Muraleedharan, visited the King Abdulaziz International Airport’s Haj Terminal in Jeddah to oversee the Haj pilgrim arrangements and look into ways to improve logistics and monitoring systems for the convenience of the Indian Haj pilgrims.
