Some CHGOs were unable to meet the Saudi Arabian deadline.
Hajj 2025: The Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia has decided to reopen the Hajj (Nusuk) portal for 10,000 pilgrims. This decision has been made considering the availability of space in Mina (the city near Mecca). The Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Government of India has informed that Combined Hajj Group Operators (CHGOs) should complete their processes without delay. Hajj will take place in June this year. Hajj travelers will start going to Saudi Arabia from May.
26 CHGOs failed to comply with the deadline set by Saudi Arabia for completing the Hajj process. As a result, they were unable to fulfill the necessary contracts for camps, hotels, and transportation in Mina. Following this, the Government of India contacted the Saudi Hajj Ministry. After the intervention of the Indian government, the Saudi Hajj Ministry has agreed to reopen the portal.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs of India has stated that some CHGOs were unable to meet the Saudi Arabian deadline, resulting in an unfulfilled Hajj quota. To complete this remaining quota, Saudi Arabia has reopened the portal for 10,000 pilgrims. According to the Indian Government’s Hajj policy for 2025, the Hajj Committee of India manages 70% of the total Hajj quota allocated to the country, while the remaining 30% is given to private Hajj group organizers. The ministry reported that Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 1,75,025 (1.75 lakh) for India for 2025.
Last week, the Secretary of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Chandra Shekhar Kumar, and Joint Secretary CPS Bakshi arrived in Jeddah to review the preparations for the Hajj for Indian pilgrims. The Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has also visited Saudi Arabia earlier this January. During this visit, he signed a bilateral agreement for Hajj 2025. It is worth noting that this year’s Hajj will take place between June 4 and June 9, 2025. However, the final date will depend on the sighting of the moon of the Islamic calendar’s last month, Dhul Hijjah.
