Why over 40,000 Indian pilgrims will miss this year’s Hajj

More than 42,000 pilgrims in India will miss the Hajj this year. After the Indian government stepped in, Saudi Arabia has allowed private operators to send 10,000 Indian pilgrims for the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, much less than the allocated quota.

Over 52,000 slots were allotted to the Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs) this year. The development comes after Saudi Arabia reportedly slashed the private Hajj pilgrim quota for Indian pilgrims by 80 per cent, leading to politicians in India calling for the Centre’s intervention.

Let’s take a closer look.

What happened?

As per reports, Saudi Arabia cancelled more than 52,000 slots for Indian pilgrims to the Hajj this year.

This led to the ruling and opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir urging the Central government’s intervention. Two days back, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the matter with authorities in Saudi Arabia.

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“The reported cancellation of Hajj slots for over 52,000 Indian pilgrims, many of whom have already completed payments, is deeply concerning. I urge the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to engage with the Saudi authorities at the earliest to explore a resolution in the interest of all affected pilgrims. This measure is crucial to ease the distress of thousands hoping to undertake the sacred pilgrimage this year,” Abdullah wrote in a post on Instagram.

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People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti called it “disturbing news” that is causing “immense distress” for pilgrims and tour operators.

“I urge the Ministry of External Affairs to immediately intervene by taking up this matter with the Saudi government to seek a resolution,” she said in a post on X on April 13.

Disturbing news emerging from Saudi Arabia. Reports indicate that 80% of India’s private Haj quota has been cut abruptly. This sudden decision is causing immense distress for pilgrims and tour operators across the country.
Urge the Ministry of External Affairs to immediately…

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 13, 2025

The Hajj is the annual sacred Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, which every able-bodied Muslim who has the financial means is required to perform once in their lifetime.

The Saudi Arabian government allocates country-wise quotas for pilgrims to attend the Hajj. This figure is decided on the basis of the number of Muslims living in a particular country.

Hajj 2025 is likely to take place from June 4 to June 9.

What has the govt said?

Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow 10,000 Indian pilgrims from the private Hajj pilgrim quota for the holy pilgrimage, the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) said on Tuesday (April 15).

It also noted that the country-wise allocation of the Hajj quota for India has gradually increased from 1,36,020 in 2014 to 1,75,025 in 2025.

The MoMA said India’s total quota for Hajj pilgrims this year is 175,025. Of this, the Haj Committee of India, under the Minority Affairs Ministry, is managing arrangements for 122,518 pilgrims under the main quota.

“All necessary preparations—flights, transport, Mina camps, accommodation, and services—were completed per Saudi guidelines,” the ministry said in a series of posts on X.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA), through the Haj Committee of India is managing arrangements for 122,518 pilgrims in the current year under the main quota. All necessary preparations—flights, transport, Mina camps, accommodation, and services—were completed per Saudi…

— Ministry of Minority Affairs (@MOMAIndia) April 15, 2025

The remaining quota was allotted to private tour operators, with the Minority Affairs Ministry merging over 800 operators into 26 CHGOs.

Despite repeated reminders, these private operators did not meet the deadlines of the Saudi authorities, failing to finalise the necessary contracts for Mina camps, accommodation, and transportation.

Mina, a tent city just outside of Mecca, is where Hajj pilgrims stay for a day.

The ministry said that the Indian government engaged with Saudi authorities. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah expressed concerns about the safety of pilgrims, especially in Mina, where Hajj rituals are done under extreme heat in limited space.

“The Saudi side informed that due to delays, Mina space was already occupied and no deadline extensions would be given to any country this year,” the ministry wrote in its post.

However, after the ministerial-level discussions, the Saudi Hajj Ministry gave a nod to reopen the Haj Portal (Nusuk Portal) for CHGOs to accommodate 10,000 Indian pilgrims.

“Thanks to the Government’s intervention, the Saudi Haj Ministry has agreed to re-open the Haj (Nusuk) Portal for CHGOs to accommodate 10,000 pilgrims, based on current availability in Mina. MoMA has issued urgent directions to CHGOs to complete their process without delay. India remains appreciative of any further gesture from Saudi authorities to accommodate more pilgrims,” the statement read.

Saudi Arabia has tightened rules for the Hajj pilgrimage this year, suspending the issuing of certain visas to citizens from 14 countries, including India. These travel restrictions have been imposed to manage the sea of crowds expected during the Hajj pilgrimage and prevent those from performing the holy pilgrimage who do not have proper registration.

With inputs from agencies