Skip to main content

India, Saudi Ink Haj Agreement With Over 1.75 Lakh Pilgrim Quota For 2024

By
India, Saudi Arabia Ink Haj Agreement With Over 1.75 Lakh Pilgrim Quota For 2024

File photo

Jeddah:

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement under which New Delhi has been allocated a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024.

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," Ms 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.

Discussions also encompassed plans for the enhancement of medical facilities, ensuring the comprehensive well-being of all pilgrims, she said. "I deeply value the collaborative spirit exhibited during these deliberations and eagerly anticipate the continued fortification of our bilateral relations."

During the meeting, India's digital initiatives in facilitating and promoting ease and convenience for the Haj pilgrims were greatly appreciated by the Saudi side and the Gulf Kingdom 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.

Ms Irani and Mr Muraleedharan later visited the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, to oversee the arrangements for pilgrims and explore ways to facilitate better logistics and monitoring mechanisms for their convenience.

They also met with Prof. Dr. Ali Erbas, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) in Turkiye and Dr. Hj. Na'im bin Hj. Mokhtar, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Islamic Affairs) separately on the sidelines of the signing of the bilateral.

"Productive discussions today with Prof. @DIBAliErbas, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Turkiye. Explored avenues for shared growth and stronger India-Turkiye bilateral ties, while exchanging insights on Haj management and adoption of best practices for enhanced pilgrimage experience," Ms Irani said in another post.

During the meetings, experiences on Haj management and administration were shared and there was an exchange of ideas on best practices with the respective counterparts.

The scope for digital initiatives for seamless delivery of services, setting up and enhancement of robust and reliable medical facilities for the pilgrims, and measures taken especially for the care and facilitation of the women pilgrims were particularly discussed.

"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," another statement said.

Ms Irani earlier on Sunday arrived here on a two-day visit. She was received at the Jeddah Airport by Ambassador Dr Suhel Khan, Consul General Mohd Shahid and officials of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah.

Ms Irani, also serving as the Union Minister for Women & Child Development, will also meet the Indian business community and Indian community  in Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Ms Irani will attend the opening ceremony of the 3rd Edition of 'Haj and Umrah Conference' in Jeddah being organised by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah Affairs.

The Indo-Saudi partnership has deepened in recent years, marked by sustained engagement across various sectors. The visit will further strengthen the strategic partnership placing Haj as a vital dimension in this relationship, the statement said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Adblock test (Why?)



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ucdFQiE https://ift.tt/xeZoYGl
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

North Korea Says It Tested New Strategic Cruise Missile

By
North Korea test-fired a new generation of strategic cruise missile on Wednesday. (Representational) Seoul: North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, the latest in a series of tension-raising moves by the nuclear-armed state. Hours later, North Korea appeared to confirm the firing, saying it had carried out its first test of a new generation of strategic cruise missiles it is developing, the Pulhwasal-3-31. Pyongyang has accelerated weapons testing in the new year, including tests of what it called an "underwater nuclear weapon system" and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile. "Our military detected several cruise missiles launched by North Korea towards the Yellow Sea at around 7:00 am today," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current UN sanctions against Pyongyang. Cruise...
Post a Comment
Read more

18-Year-Old Killed By Friends Over Mobile Game Password In Bengal: Cops

By
According to cops, accused "friends" attempted to burn the victim after killing him. (Representational) Kolkata: An argument over sharing the password of an online mobile game allegedly led to the murder of a teenage boy by four of his friends in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a senior police officer said. The body of 18-year-old Papai Das, who had been missing since January 8, was discovered near Nishindra Ghat of the feeder canal in Farakka on Monday, police said. Papai, a class 10 student, was reportedly killed by his four "close" friends after a disagreement over sharing the password for a mobile online game. The accused individuals have been arrested, police added. "These five individuals used to play online games at one of the quarters of the Farakka Barrage. The victim went out on the evening of January 8 and never returned. On January 9, the family lodged a police complaint. "Based on preliminary investigations, we discovered that...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Jaiswal Has Run Ahead Of Gill": Ex-India Star's Massive T20 WC Verdict

By
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Yashasvi Jaiswal is slightly ahead of Shubman Gill in the pecking order as captain Rohit Sharma's partner at the top in T20Is. Since making his debut last year, Jaiswal has been in stunning form in the shortest format of the game. Gill's form, on the other hand, has dipped since the ODI World Cup last year in India. With the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held later this year, Chopra feels Jaiswal will open the innings with Rohit during the tournament. "It's clear that Yashasvi Jaiswal has run ahead of Shubman Gill. Yashasvi is ahead in the two-horse race, Gill is lagging slightly behind. Gill was played in the first match, dropped in the second, and wasn't played in the third as well," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. Jaiswal helped India beat Afghanistan in the second T20I earlier this week, scoring a quickfire fifty. Considering his recent form across formats, Chopra emphasised that Jaiswal has ...
Post a Comment
Read more