Transcript of Press Statements on the visit of Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
India - Ministry of External Affairs
December 05, 2023
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: A very good afternoon to all of you. Thank you very much for joining us for this very special media briefing. Press statements on the visit of His Excellency Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have this briefing on his visit and on Hajj. Joining us on the dais, Honorable Minister, Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development, Madam Smriti Zubin Irani, as well as Minister of State for External Affairs in our renowned Ministry, Shri V. Muraleedharan, along with, of course, the visiting Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I would begin by requesting Honorable Union Minister of Minority Affairs to say a few opening remarks and then I will take it forward. Thank you.
Mrs. Smriti Irani, Minister of Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development: Thank you. Your Excellency Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; my senior colleague and Minister Shri V. Muraleedharan, friends from the media. At the onset, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to You Excellency on your visit to India. We today held productive discussions on how to further deepen our engagements and especially our cooperation for Hajj. Both nations have agreed to continue to work together to make the Hajj process as convenient and as seamless as possible with best provision of services for all Hajj pilgrims.
I would like to highlight to my friends in the media and Excellency to your kind self, that we are deeply appreciative of the help that we have received from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for extending special help and cooperation for the smooth conduct of Hajj not only every year, but also particularly in the Hajj 2023, where close to 47% of our pilgrim who embarked on Hajj from India were women, including close to 4,000 women who went under the 'Lady without Mahram' category, which is an all time high in my nation. The government of India as you all know is committed to making Hajj inclusive and accessible towards all segments of society, especially women and our Divyaangjan, Excellency, that's what our Honorable Prime Minister calls the specially abled in our country. It is also in line with the Honorable Prime Minister's vision to empower women and Divyaangjan.
I would like to thank once again Your Excellency and I hope that your visit bears you not only great fruit, but also gives you much joy. I'm sure that your visit will go a long way in further strengthening our friendly ties. As our citizens already know, Hajj policy for 2024 has already been announced by the Government of India; applications for pilgrims have already been invited. I wish you yet again, Excellency, a very productive stay in India.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, Madam Irani, Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development. May I now give the floor to Shri V. Muraleedharan Sir, Minister of State for External Affairs.
Shri V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs: I am delighted to join this press conference with His Excellency, Dr.Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia and Shrimati Smriti Irani Ji, Minister of Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development.
I extend a warm welcome to His Excellency, Dr.Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah and his delegation to India. The visit of His Excellency will bolster the overall bilateral partnership between the two countries. Importantly, the visit will be useful in charting the course for Hajj 2024 in an efficient and smoother way. Hajj pilgrimage is an important aspect of bilateral relationship between India and Saudi Arabia. The continuous success of Hajj pilgrimage undertaken by our citizens is a testament to the strong commitment made by both countries.
I take this opportunity to place our sincere appreciation to the leadership and the authorities concerned in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the successful Hajj arrangements earlier this year for Indian pilgrims. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy close and friendly relationship. People to people ties form an important component in this important bilateral space. The relations have reached a new heights under the visionary leadership of our Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There is a mutual recognition that our partnership will not only be beneficial to our countries and communities strengthened by our vibrant 2.4 million diaspora, but will be valuable to the region and the world. The dedication of Honorable Minister Smriti Irani ji to ensuring the success of the Hajj pilgrimage for our citizens is commendable. And we are aware, Smriti ji, that under your leadership, Ministry of Minority Affairs has been working very hard for the success of the forthcoming Hajj pilgrimage.
I reiterate Ministry of External Affairs' firm commitment in this process, and we look forward to working closely to make the pilgrimage a grand success once again. I wish His Excellency Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah and his delegation a pleasant stay in India. Thank you.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Thank you very much, sir. May I now offer the floor to His Excellency Dr.Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The floor is yours, sir.
Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Thank you. Your Excellency Minister Smriti Irani, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I sincerely thank Her Excellency for the warm reception and hospitality extended to me and my delegation during our visit. Saudi Arabia's streamlined Umrah experience reflects the nation's dedication to facilitating the religious pilgrimage of Muslims worldwide. The Kingdom has effectively transformed Umrah into a rewarding religious expedition by utilizing technological advancements, enhanced measures, and upgraded infrastructure as part of the Saudi Vision 2030.
To streamline Umrah visits, individuals looking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours. Additionally, Indians travelers can perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia using their work, tourism, or Umrah visas. Furthermore, Indians travelling to the West or the Middle East can obtain a stopover visa that is for 96 hours and get a visa within the ticket issuance process, which allows them to perform Umrah and visit any city in the Kingdom.
The Umrah visa is valid for 90 days, allows holders to reside and travel within the Kingdom, ensuring an efficient and convenient pilgrimage experience. The scheme seeks to streamline the visa acquisition process and enhance the overall accessibility for Umrah pilgrims. During our meetings, we explored various opportunities that we aim to capitalize, and challenges that we are dedicated to overcoming, to facilitate the arrival of more Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the two holy mosques. Our collaborative efforts have significantly increased the number of Umrah pilgrims from India, surpassing 1.2 million in 2023. That is 74% increase in comparison with 2022.
We are committed to initiating discussions to enhance the range of direct flights options between our two nations to accommodate an increasing number of Indians looking to perform Umrah. We are also focused on enhancing capacity to meet the anticipated increase by introducing new scheduled flights through Saudi low-cost airlines, Flynas and Flyadeal. These efforts are complemented by initiatives to streamline visa issuance procedures and establish three new (inaudible) or visa centers in India, accommodating the increasing number of individuals seeking to perform Umrah and visit the holy sites.
We will launch the Nusuk exhibition in Mumbai tomorrow, which is an opportunity for collaboration between Umrah and tourism companies from Saudi Arabia and India, and a chance to take advantage of opportunities and introduce initiatives that enhance the Umrah journey. Thank you, Excellency, for your gracious welcome and hospitality. Thank you for your attendance.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Thank you very much to Honorable Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development, to the Minister of State for External Affairs and to the visiting Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
That brings us to the end of these press statements. Please remain seated as the honorable dignitaries make their way out. Thank you.
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