After Opposition flags Haj quota cut, govt blames pvt operator delay; Saudi reopens portal for another 10,000 pilgrims

Over the last few years, a quota of 1.75 lakh pilgrims has been allotted to India, of which 1.25 lakh go through the Haj Committee, while the rest go through private operators. However, with the Saudi government tightening the rules this year, and closing the portal for private tour operators, the fate of over 50,000 such private pilgrims was in jeopardy.

Several Opposition leaders had voiced concern over the issue and urged the central government to take up the matter with their leadership. “The reported cancellation of Hajj slots for over 52,000 Indian pilgrims, many of whom have already completed payments, is deeply concerning. I urge Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar to engage with the Saudi authorities at the earliest to explore a resolution in the interest of all affected pilgrims,” Abdullah said.

The sudden cut in India’s private Haj quota caused distress to thousands of pilgrims, Stalin said on Monday. In a post on X, he also urged Jaishankar to engage with the Saudi authorities and seek an expeditious resolution.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had said the sudden decision to reduce the Haj quota has caused immense distress for both the pilgrims and tour operators, and also sought Jaishankar’s intervention. Congress general secretary Syed Naseer Hussain said he was shocked to learn that 52,000 Indian pilgrims’ Haj slots had been “cancelled despite payments”.

Hundreds of people had reportedly died during last year’s pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia owing to intense high temperatures at sites. This led the country to tighten the rules ahead of the pilgrimage this year. The government on Tuesday said the Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) had failed to comply with the necessary timelines set by the Saudi authorities despite reminders.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs through the Haj Committee of India looks after arrangements for the bulk of the 1,75,025 quota allotted to India, which is 1,22,518 in the current year. The remaining 52,507 is allotted to private tour operators.

“The Ministry (through the Haj Committee of India) manages arrangements for the bulk of the quota allotted to India, which is 1,22,518 in the current year. All the necessary arrangements, including flight schedules, transportation, Mina camps, accommodation, and additional services have been taken up and completed as per the Saudi requirements, within the given timelines,” the statement said.

The balance of the quota was allotted, as is customary, to private tour operators. Due to changes in Saudi guidelines, more than 800 private tour operators were consolidated into 26 legal entities (CHGOs), by the ministry this year. “However, despite reminders, they failed to comply with the necessary timelines set by the Saudi authorities and failed to finalise the mandatory contracts, including for Mina camps, accommodation and transport of pilgrims, as required under the Saudi regulations,” the statement said.

The Saudi Hajj Ministry highlighted its concerns for the safety of the pilgrims, particularly in Mina, where Haj rituals have to be completed under extreme summer heat conditions in a limited space. It also underlined that due to delays, the available space in Mina became occupied. They have further conveyed that they were not extending the timelines for any country this year, the statement said.

A few weeks ago, Saudi Arabia had also decided to temporarily suspend the issuing of visas to 14 countries, including India till mid-June 2025. The other countries include Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Each year, Saudi Arabia hosts around 25 lakh to 30 lakh pilgrims from across the globe to visit Mecca, and India sends the third-largest contingent of pilgrims. In fact, Haj pilgrimage is a big factor in the bilateral ties between the two countries. The country allocation for India was 1.36 lakh in 2014 but gradually increased to 1.75 lakh as ties between the two countries grew. In fact, India is hoping to discuss increasing its quota to 2 lakh, as per officials.