Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Apr 29: The first contingent of Indian Haj pilgrims received a warm welcome at the Madina Airport in Saudi Arabia today. The welcoming party included the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Suhel Khan, and Consul General Fahad Suri, who were joined by the Saudi Deputy Minister for Haj and Umrah, Abdulaziz A. Wazzan, and other high-ranking Saudi officials.
India will have a significant representation in the Haj 2025 pilgrimage, with a total of 1,75,025 pilgrims undertaking the sacred journey. The initial flights today carried 288 pilgrims from Lucknow and 262 pilgrims from Hyderabad, as announced by Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on X.
Upon arrival, the pilgrims were greeted warmly, and their entry procedures were completed swiftly. They were subsequently transported to their accommodations in Madina.
Minister Rijiju affirmed the Indian government's commitment, stating, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India remains committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless Haj pilgrimage for all. Prayers for a safe, blessed and spiritually enriching pilgrimage."
The government has progressively increased the country allocation for India for the Haj pilgrimage. This allocation has risen from 136,020 in 2014 to 1,75,025 in 2025.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA), through the Haj Committee of India, manages the arrangements for the majority of the Indian quota, which stands at 1,22,518 for the current year. All necessary preparations, including flight schedules, transportation, Mina camps, accommodation, and additional services, have been undertaken and finalized in accordance with Saudi requirements and timelines.
The remaining quota of over 52,000 slots was allocated to private tour operators, following established practice. This year, due to changes in Saudi guidelines, over 800 Private Tour Operators were consolidated into 26 legal entities known as Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Despite the early allocation of the Haj quota to these 26 CHGOs and subsequent reminders, they faced challenges in adhering to the necessary timelines set by the Saudi authorities. This resulted in a failure to finalize mandatory contracts, particularly for Mina camps, accommodation, and pilgrim transport.
The Saudi Haj Ministry later communicated that the available space in Mina had become occupied due to these delays. However, following intervention by the Indian government, the Saudi Haj Ministry offered a solution to private Haj operators whose quota of approximately 10,000 pilgrims was at risk of cancellation due to pending documentation.
In a notable gesture, the Saudi Haj Ministry agreed to reopen the Haj Portal (Nusuk Portal) to all Indian Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) to complete their work for these 10,000 pilgrims.