India and Saudi Arabia have formally signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement for the 2026 pilgrimage season, locking in a record quota of 175,025 Indian pilgrims. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju concluded the pact in Jeddah on November 9 during a three-day visit that focused on logistics and service upgrades for India’s largest annual outbound religious movement.
Under the agreement, India retains its status as the world’s second-largest Haj contingent. Officials from both governments agreed to expand digital pre-clearance, increase dedicated charter flights from tier-2 Indian cities, and assign separate immigration counters for elderly pilgrims at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. The Saudi side also pledged to add 5,000 beds in Indian-managed buildings near Mina and to streamline bus transfers between Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites during the five-day pilgrimage period.
![India Secures 175,025 Haj Slots for 2026 under New Bilateral Agreement with Saudi Arabia]()
For Indian corporates that sponsor hundreds of employees each year on the Haj leave benefit, the early confirmation of seats removes uncertainty around rostering. Travel managers can now negotiate block fares with Air India and Saudi flag-carrier Saudia well in advance, potentially shaving 8-10 percent off peak-season airfares. Organisers of the private tour-operator quota welcomed the clarity but urged the government to simplify the new e-medical fitness certificate that will be mandatory from March 2026.
The deal also has geopolitical overtones. Riyadh and New Delhi have elevated ties since the 2021 launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). By demonstrating smooth cooperation on a mass-mobility project such as Haj, both capitals signal growing trust that could spill over into business-visa facilitation and joint investments in airport infrastructure.
Pilgrims will apply for visas through the Indian Haj Committee’s portal from January 15 2026, with biometric enrolment handled in 14 Indian cities. A second, smaller window for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will open in March. The Ministry of Minority Affairs says it is on track to release an English-Hindi-Arabic Haj mobility handbook—covering digital payments, health insurance and emergency contacts—by April 2026.
Under the agreement, India retains its status as the world’s second-largest Haj contingent. Officials from both governments agreed to expand digital pre-clearance, increase dedicated charter flights from tier-2 Indian cities, and assign separate immigration counters for elderly pilgrims at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. The Saudi side also pledged to add 5,000 beds in Indian-managed buildings near Mina and to streamline bus transfers between Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites during the five-day pilgrimage period.
For Indian corporates that sponsor hundreds of employees each year on the Haj leave benefit, the early confirmation of seats removes uncertainty around rostering. Travel managers can now negotiate block fares with Air India and Saudi flag-carrier Saudia well in advance, potentially shaving 8-10 percent off peak-season airfares. Organisers of the private tour-operator quota welcomed the clarity but urged the government to simplify the new e-medical fitness certificate that will be mandatory from March 2026.
The deal also has geopolitical overtones. Riyadh and New Delhi have elevated ties since the 2021 launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). By demonstrating smooth cooperation on a mass-mobility project such as Haj, both capitals signal growing trust that could spill over into business-visa facilitation and joint investments in airport infrastructure.
Pilgrims will apply for visas through the Indian Haj Committee’s portal from January 15 2026, with biometric enrolment handled in 14 Indian cities. A second, smaller window for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will open in March. The Ministry of Minority Affairs says it is on track to release an English-Hindi-Arabic Haj mobility handbook—covering digital payments, health insurance and emergency contacts—by April 2026.
