NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia has increased India’s annual Haj quota from 1.36 lakh to 1.70 lakh, biggest such expansion in last 29 years, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.
An agreement to this regard was inked by Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Naqvi with Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten at Jeddah today, making the expansion effective from the current year.
The Saudi authorities had five years ago slashed quotas for foreign pilgrims coming from each country by 20 per cent in view of safety of the devotees as they undertook expansion of Grand Mosque there.
Accordingly, India’s quota was brought down to 1.36 lakh from nearly 1.70 lakh in 2012. (AGENCIES)
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