Rijiju will also meet the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and discuss the Hajj flight operations and the pilgrimage-related bus and train services with him
During his visit, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will also visit the Jeddah Hajj Terminal, used by Indian pilgrims, where the government has set up dedicated office space for facilitation. Pic/X
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju embarked on a five-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to sign a bilateral agreement for the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage, during which India is seeking an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims, news agency PTI reported.
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Rijiju is scheduled to meet Saudi Arabian Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah on Monday, and the two leaders are expected to sign the bilateral agreement.
"I look forward to visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to sign the bilateral agreement on Hajj 2025 and strengthen the people-to-people ties between our two great nations," Rijiju said in a post on X.
Rijiju will also meet Saleh Al Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, to discuss the Hajj 2025 flight operations and pilgrimage-related bus and train services, PTI reported.
The minister will visit the Jeddah Hajj Terminal, used by Indian pilgrims, where the government has set up dedicated office space for facilitation. Some Indian pilgrims also transit through Jeddah Airport Terminal One, which is connected to a high-speed rail service.
India’s Hajj 2025 quota has been fixed by Saudi Arabia at 1,75,025 pilgrims, with the Indian government seeking an additional 10,000 quota for this year’s pilgrimage, PTI reported.
Rijiju will also travel to Madina, where he will visit the Quba and Qublatain mosques.
During his visit, the minister is scheduled to meet Prince Khalid Al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Advisor to King Salman, Governor of Makkah Region, and Chairman of the Central Hajj Committee, as well as Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the Governor of Madina.
Of the total Hajj pilgrims' quota allocated to India, 70 per cent will be managed by the Hajj Committee of India, with the remaining 30 per cent going to private Hajj group organisers, according to the government’s Hajj Policy for 2025. In 2024, the Hajj Committee of India was allotted 80 per cent, while private organisers received 20 per cent of the quota.
In the 2024 Hajj policy, priority was given to applicants aged 70 and above, followed by women travelling without mehrams, and then the general category. The new policy prioritises 65 plus applicants, followed by women without mehrams and then the general category.
(With PTI inputs)
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