JEDDAH, 13 November 2004 — India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed paid a four-day visit to the Kingdom to review arrangements for Indian pilgrims for Haj, 2005.
Ahamed called on Saudi Minister of Haj Iyad Madani and thanked him for increasing Indian Haj pilgrims’ quota by 10,000.
With Saudi Arabia increasing the quota of Indian pilgrims coming through the Haj Committee by 10,000, a total of 82,000 pilgrims will benefit from the arrangements being made by the government and the Haj Committee.
Ahamed briefed Madani on the entire gamut of arrangements including accommodation, air and surface transport, general welfare and medical assistance put in place for the Indian pilgrims. He also briefed the minister of Haj on the air operation under which more than 30,000 Indian pilgrims will arrive for Haj via Madinah for the first time.
Indian Ambassador M.O.H Farouk, Consul General Ausaf Sayeed and Haj Consul Majid Padar accompanied Ahamed.
Earlier, Ahamed, along with the consul general and Press and Information Consul Hifzur Rehman, visited Madinah and met Hasan H. Bakri, a Haj Directorate official in Madinah, and discussed the arrangements for the reception Indian pilgrims there.
