India-Saudi Arabia Sign Bilateral Haj Agreement, Over 1.75 Lakh Pilgrim Quota Set For This Year

On Sunday (7 January), India and Saudi Arabia inked a bilateral agreement under which a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims has been assigned to New Delhi for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan in Jeddah.

According to an official statement, a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through Haj Committee whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through private operators.

"Pleased to announce the formalisation of the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 between India and Saudi Arabia. I, along with Hon'ble MoS for External Affairs, Shri @MOS_MEA, presided over the signing. Also engaged in productive discussions on matters of mutual interest with @tfrabiah, Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Affairs,” Irani said in a post on X.

She said the Saudi delegation expressed sincere appreciation for India's exceptional digital initiatives, particularly in providing essential last-mile information to pilgrims.

“Our proposal to encourage the participation of women without Mehram in the Haj pilgrimage further underscores our commitment to inclusivity,” she added.

She expressed her appreciation for the cooperative attitude shown throughout these discussions and is looking forward to the ongoing strengthening of their bilateral relations.

In the meeting, the Saudi side highly commended India's digital initiatives designed to ease and enhance the convenience for Haj pilgrims.

The Gulf Kingdom also offered to extend all possible help, the statement said.

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

Later on, Irani and Muraleedharan visited the Haj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to inspect the facilities for pilgrims and to identify potential improvements to logistics and monitoring systems for their benefit.