India, Saudi Arabia Sign Haj 2027 Pact; Quota 175,025

India and Saudi Arabia have put their signatures on the Bilateral Haj Agreement for Haj-2027. The document was signed in Jeddah on 9 November 2026, at the close of an official visit by Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs. The pact fixes the country quota for India at 175,025 pilgrims.

What the agreement settles

Ahead of the signing, the Indian Minister sat down with Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, at the Jeddah Superdome. India's Ambassador to the Kingdom and the Joint Secretary (Haj) joined those talks. The two sides went through the arrangements being made for the next pilgrimage, agreed to tighten coordination and logistical support, and placed the comfort and safety of every Indian pilgrim at the centre of the understanding. The Indian side recorded its satisfaction with the way Haj-2026 had been conducted and promised the Kingdom full cooperation for the season ahead.

The visit in brief

• The Minister was in Saudi Arabia from 6 to 9 November 2026, with a delegation that had the Joint Secretary (Haj) of the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Chief Executive Officer of the Haj Committee of India in it.
• On 8 November he attended the opening of the 6th Hajj Conference and Exhibition and spoke at the Ministerial Conference that the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah chaired.
• He met Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region, along with other visiting ministers.
• He joined the Noor-e-Diwali gathering at India House in Jeddah and called the Indian diaspora a living bridge of friendship between the two nations.
• A review meeting with officers of the Consulate General of India, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India took stock of the preparations.

Why the quota matters

The quota is the ceiling on the number of Indians who may undertake the pilgrimage in a season, and it is settled government to government before each Haj. Both capitals describe the partnership as one built on long historical ties and close people-to-people links, and the visit named Haj management, pilgrim welfare and cultural exchange as the areas where that cooperation is to grow. The Minister also went round important Haj-related and cultural sites in Jeddah during the visit.