India Signs Haj Agreement With Saudi Arabia, Allocating Over 1.75 Lakh Pilgrim Quota for 2024

Jeddah: India and Saudi Arabia inked a bilateral deal on Sunday, according to which New Delhi would get a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the 2024 annual Haj.

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Minister of Minority Affairs Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

A total of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India have been confirmed for the Haj 2024, according to an official announcement. Of these, 1,40,020 seats are set aside for pilgrims to continue through the Haj Committee, while 35,005 pilgrims will be able to proceed through private operators.

“We are happy to announce that Saudi Arabia and India have formalized their bilateral Haj agreement for 2024. The signing was overseen by me and the Honorable Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri @MOS_MEA. Additionally, Ms. Irani posted on X that she was “engaging in fruitful discussions on matters of mutual interest with @tfrabiah, Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Affairs.”

According to her, the Saudi delegation conveyed their heartfelt gratitude for India’s outstanding digital endeavors, especially with regard to giving pilgrims vital last-mile information. “Our proposal to encourage the participation of women without Mehram in the Haj pilgrimage further underscores our commitment to inclusivity,” she stated.

Plans for improving medical facilities were also discussed, she said, guaranteeing the overall health of pilgrims. “I deeply value the collaborative spirit exhibited during these deliberations and eagerly anticipate the continued fortification of our bilateral relations.”

The Gulf Kingdom promised to give all assistance at the meeting, and India’s digital endeavors to promote and facilitate comfort and convenience for the Haj pilgrims were highly welcomed by the Saudi side, according to the statement.

“The initiative of the Government of India towards encouraging participation under the Ladies without Mehram (LWM) category was discussed, deeply appreciated and lauded,” it stated.

Afterwards, Ms. Irani and Mr. Muraleedharan went to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah’s Haj Terminal to supervise the pilgrims’ arrangements and look into methods to improve logistics and monitoring systems for their comfort.

On the margins of the bilateral agreement signing, they also had separate meetings with Dr. Hj. Na’im bin Hj. Mokhtar, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs), and Prof. Dr. Ali Erbas, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) in Turkiye.

“Very fruitful talks today with Prof. @DIBAliErbas, President of Diyanet, Turkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs. explored opportunities for mutual development and closer bilateral connections between Turkey and India, while sharing knowledge on Haj administration and adopting best practices for a better pilgrimage experience,” Ms. Irani stated in a different post.

Experiences with Haj administration and management were discussed throughout the sessions, and ideas for best practices were exchanged with the corresponding counterparts.

Particularly emphasized were the potential for digital efforts to enable smooth service delivery, the establishment and improvement of strong and dependable medical facilities for pilgrims, and steps made specifically to care for and facilitate the needs of women pilgrims.

“It was further resolved that avenues and scope for further exchange of ideas and collaboration would be explored so as to ensure that maximum benefits from the adoption of best practices accrue to the Haj pilgrims,” a further statement stated.

Ms. Irani came here earlier on Sunday for a two-day tour. Ambassador Dr. Suhel Khan, Consul General Mohd Shahid, and representatives of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah met her at the Jeddah Airport.

In her capacity as the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Ms. Irani will also engage with Saudi Arabia’s Indian community and business sector.

Ms. Irani will be present at the opening ceremony of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah Affairs’ Third Edition of the “Haj and Umrah Conference” in Jeddah on Monday.

Recent years have seen a deepening of the Indo-Saudi friendship, characterized by consistent participation across several industries. According to the release, Haj will play a crucial role in this connection as the visit will further solidify the strategic cooperation.