JEDDAH, 24 September — There may be a marginal increase in the number of pilgrims coming from India for the upcoming Haj.
The number is expected to go up by 5,000 from 110,000 last year when additionally, 7,000 Indians came from third countries. Of 115,000 expected this year, 70,000 will come through the Central Haj Committee (CHC), according to Indian Consul General Syed Akbaruddin.
A 12-member high-level Indian mission is scheduled to sign an agreement with Haj Minister Iyad Madani tomorrow to facilitate the passage of pilgrims. The first Haj flight will arrive from India on Jan. 4 — the day the Haj Terminal opens for flights.
"The meeting with the Haj minister will also discuss various modalities including the new health regulations for pilgrims. This covers vaccination against a new meningitis strain," Akbaruddin told a press conference yesterday. Various norms of accommodation for pilgrims as well as the schedules of arrival and departure of Haj flights would also be finalized.
Planning Commission member Kamaluddin Ahmed, who was minister of state for commerce and civil supplies during the premiership of Narasimha Rao, leads the delegation that includes Rajeet Mitter of the Ministry of External Affairs, Alok Chaturvedi of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and CHC Chairman Tanvir Ahmed and Vice Chairman Sohail Lokhandwala. CHC members in the mission include former chairman Salamatullah, Bashir Moosa Patel and M.O.H. Farouk, member of parliament and former civil aviation minister. Accompanying the delegation will be Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, the consul general and CHC executive officer Abdul Rasheed Mir.
He announced that 40 to 50 Indian companies would participate in the International Trade and Fashion Fair scheduled in Jeddah from Oct. 14-18. They will participate in a buyer-seller meet earlier on Oct. 12. "The Indo-Arab Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in the participation of Indian companies, which is the biggest in a Saudi trade show in recent years," Akbaruddin added. A 27-member delegation from India’s Synthetics Rayon & Textile Exports Promotion Council is also visiting here in mid-October. The consul general urged community leaders to participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Indians abroad day) in New Delhi from Jan. 9-11, where they could interact with non-resident Indians from across the world.
"This is a chance for the community to address various issues facing them including education of children abroad, health insurance and dual citizenship," he said.
About 3,000 to 5,000 non-resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) from the world over are expected to participate in the event being held for the first time in the interest of 20 million Indians living in 110 countries. The largest number of Indian passport holders are in the Gulf where they number 3.5 million. Some 1.5 million of them are in the Kingdom.
Kamaluddin is scheduled to inaugurate the newly renovated premises of the consulate on Thursday. "The focus has been to improve facilities of those needing consular services. The existing passport hall has been extended and several new counters provided to reduce the waiting time of visitors," he said.