Saudi Arabia hikes India’s Haj quota by 34,500

Saudi Arabia has increased India’s annual Haj quota by 34,500, a move welcomed by the NDA government as “a matter of pleasure”.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Dr. Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddah on Wednesday, increasing India’s Haj quota from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.

Big jump, says Minister

According to a statement issued by Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Naqvi, it is the “biggest increase” in quota for Haj pilgrims after 1988. The increase will be effective from the current year.

Five years ago, the Saudi authorities slashed quotas for foreign pilgrims from each country by 20 per cent considering the devotees’ safety as they undertook expansion of the Grand Mosque there.

Last year, 1,35,903 devotees from India performed Haj.

Expressing pleasure at signing of the agreement, Mr. Naqvi tweeted, “It’s a matter of pleasure that Saudi Arabia has increased India’s Haj quota by about 34,000.”

The government started issuing Haj applications from January 2. The last date for submission of applications is January 24.