Expanding ties: India’s Minority Affairs Minister & MoS MEA visit historic Madinah

As a part of the ongoing visit to Saudi Arabia, during which the Bilateral Haj Agreement for Haj 2024 was signed between India and Riyadh on Sunday, Indian Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, led a delegation of senior officials from Ministry of Minority Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs on a historic visit to Madinah, one of the holiest cities in Islam, today.

The delegation visited the perimeter of the Prophet's Mosque (Al Masjid Al Nabwi) in the Markazia area of Madinah. This was followed by a visit to the mountain of Uhud and a visit to the Quba Mosque.

Quba Mosque is the first Mosque of Islam while Uhud Mountain is the final resting place of a number early Islamic martyrs.


The delegation interacted with Indian volunteers and provide a first hand insight into the arrangements required to be made for ensuring a comfortable Haj 2024 for the Indian pilgrims, according to a government statement.

A total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through Haj Committee of India which will greatly benefit the common first time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024 whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.