NEW DELHI: The inaugural flight of this year’s Haj pilgrimage is set to take off from Delhi’s IGI airport on Thursday at 2:20 am, destined for
Madinah
.
Delhi State Haj committee chairperson
Kausar Jahan
shared with ANI, “Today, the
first flight
of Haj 2024 will depart for Madinah at 2:20 am in the morning (May 9) with 285 people onboard. I congratulate all of them.”
According to Kausar Jahan, a total of 16,500 pilgrims will embark on the Haj Yatra from the Delhi embarkation point this year.
On Tuesday, Muktesh K Pardeshi, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs), conducted a review of the preparations for Haj 2024 in Jeddah and Madinah.
During his visit, Pardeshi met with Saudi Arabia’s Vice Haj Minister Abdul Fattah Mashat to discuss the logistical arrangements and infrastructure developments aimed at ensuring the welfare and comfort of the pilgrims.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia shared on X, “Shri Muktesh Pardeshi, Secretary (CPV&OIA) had a fruitful meeting with Vice Haj Minister, HE Dr. Abdul-Fattah bin Sulaiman Mashat in Jeddah today. They reviewed the preparations of the forthcoming Haj with a focus on providing the best services to the Indian pilgrims.”
Muktesh K Pardeshi’s official visit to Saudi Arabia, which took place from May 4-7, was aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a press release. It is worth noting that under the 2024 Hajj quota, a total of 175,025 Indian pilgrims will be visiting Saudi Arabia.