Kiren Rijiju’s Saudi visit

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia. This journey is considered very important for Haj 2026. During this, Rijiju signed the bilateral Haj agreement in Jeddah. Under which the number of Indian pilgrims for Haj 2026 has increased to 175025.

This visit of Rijiju was from 7 to 9 November. During this, he held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Taufiq bin Fauzan Al Rabia. In which coordination, logistics and ongoing Haj preparations were discussed. An official statement issued after the meeting said that both sides have reaffirmed their commitment to ease the process for Indian pilgrims.

A significant step in deepening the IndiaSaudi Arabia ties 🇮🇳🤝🇸🇦 Held a Bilateral Meeting & signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement with HE Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj & Umrah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Haj Quota of 175,025 has been secured for Indian Pilgrims. pic.twitter.com/Yonkj8U0LT

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 9, 2025

Focus on good travel and better facilities

According to the official statement, facilities, transportation, accommodation and health assistance have been discussed to ensure a good journey for Indian pilgrims. After the meeting, both the delegations signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement for Haj 2026.

Apart from this, Rijiju also held review meetings with the Embassy and Consulate teams to inspect the state of preparedness and appreciated their coordination with the Saudi authorities.

Rijiju himself inspected

The minister visited key sites related to Hajj and Umrah, including Terminal 1 and Haramain Station in Jeddah and Taif to understand the infrastructure of Hajj pilgrims. He also spoke to people of the Indian community in both the cities.

Rijiju wrote on Twitter that this is an important step towards deepening India-Saudi Arabia relations and said, “Our discussions on Haj 2026 reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries to ensure a safe, seamless and spiritually gratifying journey for all Haj pilgrims.”