Jeddah (PTI): Union Minister Smriti Irani Participates in Third Haj and Umrah Conference, Discusses Collaboration with Saudi Officials
Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, attended the opening session of the third Haj and Umrah Conference in Jeddah on Tuesday. During the event, she engaged in discussions with the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region and the Minister of Haj and Umrah about enhancing cooperation to improve facilities and services for Indian pilgrims.
Accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Irani’s participation provided insights into global best practices and facilitated the exchange of ideas to enhance the Haj experience for Indian pilgrims, according to a statement from the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The discussions also included talks with the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region and the Minister of Haj and Umrah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), exploring avenues for closer cooperation to enhance facilities and services for Indian pilgrims during Haj 2024.
Expressing gratitude for the invitation from the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah Affairs, Irani highlighted the importance of shared values. She had a productive meeting with H.R.H. Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, and H.E. @tfrabiah, Minister of Haj and Umrah, KSA. The discussions focused on improving facilities and services for Indian Haj pilgrims during Haj 2024, as mentioned in Irani’s post on X.
Irani also visited Madinah city, one of Islam’s holiest cities, on Monday. The statement emphasized the warm and cordial ties between India and Saudi Arabia, acknowledging the special gesture of Saudi’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah in facilitating the visit of the Indian delegation to Madinah.
On Sunday, India and Saudi Arabia signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024, allocating New Delhi a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024.
