JEDDAH, 11 July 2004 — Indian Consul General Syed Akbaruddin is set to return home after the successful completion of his tenure here. “I feel satisfied that my stint here has been smooth. I go back with memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Akbaruddin told Arab News yesterday.

He said his current assignment was unique as it required him to deal directly with people. “I had no experience of direct interaction with people earlier in my career. I found it a very rewarding and enriching experience. I have learned a lot,” he said.

The dynamic Akbaruddin has been credited with having introduced several new ideas which have benefited the community.

“I was upset to see people queuing up from early morning to enter the consulate and also to get their work done once they were inside. So I introduced the token system. People sit till their turn comes and they get up only to go to the window,” he said.

The setting up of the consulate website was another major technological step introduced by Akbaruddin. “The website has all the information anyone needs, so people don’t have to make phone calls. All the names of various consuls are there with links, so people can send e-mails and ask questions. We had 100,000 hits annually, which is quite high for a site like ours,” he added.

But the major beneficiaries of the website and computerization have been Haj pilgrims and their relatives. “Nearly two months in advance, pilgrims can get all details about their flights, accommodation and other travel plans,” he said.

Akbaruddin said the database was also helpful when people in Jeddah want to find out about relatives who come here on Haj and also when pilgrims get lost.

He is most proud of streamlining the Haj operation and making it transparent. “At the time of renting buildings we advertise even in Arabic newspapers. So it is all totally above board,” he said.

In the past pilgrims had to sleep on the floor but all Hajis now have individual beds and sheets. “I was shocked to see that they were not even provided with sheets. So now we have made it a part of the package deal and the building owner has to provide them,” Akbaruddin added.

Akbaruddin said another first for the next Haj will be pilgrims arriving directly in Madinah. “For the first time nearly 27,000 pilgrims don’t have to wear their ihram when they start for Haj. They change into ihram after their stay in Madinah and as they leave for Makkah. It is part of our linear travel plan for the pilgrims,” he added.

He said a couple of Haj memories will remain with him for ever. “One concerned a pilgrim who walked all the way from India. Our mission in Jordan contacted us and we arranged for his visa. I offered him a plane ticket to go back but he refused. He wanted to walk back so that he could meet people who had asked him to pray for them and tell them that he had done it,” he said.

The second instance was the oldest Indian performing Haj last year. “Here was a man fulfilling his life’s ambition at such an old age. He was supported by someone in India, but we did all we could to make it comfortable for him,” Akbaruddin said.

Akbaruddin was struck by the help offered by some young Saudis. “They will go out of their way to offer help in any way they could. It was amazing,” he said.

During his stint he found government officials cooperative. “Once a consulate staff had an emergency. I contacted an official and he saw to it that the staff member had his passport with the exit re-entry visa within an hour. This can happen only in this country,” Akbaruddin said.

He said a recent open house at the consulate was a big success. “Fortunately most of the cases were minor and could be solved there and then without any intervention. Some people also brought up old issues and wanted to know what happened in those cases,” Akbaruddin added.

The consulate’s cultural programs were only possible because of the support of the community and his staff. “I am just the face of the consulate. I am lucky that I have an excellent team. Also, the generous support of some community members enabled me to organize those events,” he added.

Always self-effacing, Akbaruddin has done his bit for the community here. Thus he collected SR75,000 and donated it to help needy students of the Indian school in Jeddah.

Akbaruddin will be missed.