How Was the First Batch of Indian Haj Pilgrims Welcome in Saudi Arabia?

Riyadh, April 29 (NationPress) The inaugural group of Indian Haj pilgrims received a warm reception at Madina Airport in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. They were greeted by the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Suhel Khan, along with Consul General Fahad Suri, and were joined by Abdulaziz A. Wazzan, the Saudi Deputy Minister for Haj and Umrah, along with other senior Saudi officials.

A total of 122,518 pilgrims from India are scheduled to embark on this sacred journey during Haj 2025. The first two flights brought in 288 pilgrims from Lucknow and 262 pilgrims from Hyderabad, as shared by Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on X.

Upon their arrival, the pilgrims were met with a heartfelt welcome as their entry procedures were handled efficiently. They were then taken to their accommodations in Madina.

“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is dedicated to facilitating a smooth Haj pilgrimage for every participant. We wish for a safe, blessed, and spiritually enriching experience,” stated Rijiju.

The administration led by Prime Minister Modi has prioritized the annual pilgrimage for Indian Muslims.

Thanks to these efforts, India's quota allocation has steadily risen from 136,020 in 2014 to 175,025 in 2025.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) oversees the arrangements for most of the allocated quota, which stands at 122,518 this year.

All essential preparations, including flight schedules, transport, Mina camps, and accommodations, have been finalized in accordance with Saudi regulations and timelines.

Over 52,000 slots of the quota were allocated to private tour operators, as is customary. Due to shifts in Saudi guidelines, more than 800 Private Tour Operators were streamlined into 26 legal entities called Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) by the Ministry of Minority Affairs this year.

The Ministry allocated the Haj quota to these 26 CHGOs well ahead of time to address legal challenges. However, despite repeated reminders, they did not meet the Saudi authorities' deadlines for essential contracts, including those for Mina camps, accommodations, and pilgrim transportation.

Subsequently, the Saudi Haj Ministry reported that due to these delays, the available space in Mina was fully booked. With intervention from the Indian government, the Saudi Haj Ministry provided a lifeline to private Haj operators facing potential cancellation of their quota for about 10,000 pilgrims due to documentation delays.

In an unusual move, the Saudi Haj Ministry agreed to reopen the Haj Portal (Nusuk Portal) for all Indian Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) to finalize arrangements for these 10,000 pilgrims.