Saudi cancels Haj quota for Private Operators; 80% Indian Pilgrims may face cancellation

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, APRIL 14 (STC): In a circular issued by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, only 20% of the private quota that were booked already will be confirmed initially for performing Haj this year. This is a major setback to over 52,000 Indians who had booked their Haj pilgrimage through private tour operators.
This means, out of that 80% of those who registered under Combined Haj Group Organisers (CHGOs) may not be able to perform Haj 2025. The development comes after the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah shut down access to the Nusuk portal—a mandatory online platform used to finalise contracts and services for pilgrims. Due to delays in payments and non-finalisation of service agreements, the Saudi authorities cancelled Mina Zones 1 and 2, which had been allotted to CHGOs. The remaining zones (3, 4 and 5) have also been held up, further worsening the situation, says a report published in cross section of media.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has held private tour operators responsible for the lapse. It stated that each CHGO was supposed to independently finalise service arrangements on the Nusuk portal, but most of them failed to upload contracts or process payments on time. The Saudi authorities, as a result, revoked access and froze all zones meant for private Indian pilgrims.
However, it has also been learnt that the lapses were made from the government’s side, as starting last year, the Saudi authorities had made changes to the procedure and had asked the Private Operators to deposit their payments to through the government channel and the government had to deposit the amount to Saudi authorities. “Majority of these operators had deposited their payments to the government while a few might have delayed it. Prior to 2024, the private operators used to make payments directly from their accounts to Saudi authorities,” a report quoting some undisclosed operators said.
“The government, however, while waiting to the payment from all the operators, delayed the payment and that led to the closure of payment channels of Saudi authorities. Because of the negligence of the government, all the operators, including those who had processed their payments are now facing difficulty,” the operators alleged.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has taken up the matter with the highest levels of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah. As a result, the Saudi side has agreed to temporarily reopen the Nusuk portal—but only for a short and unspecified window. This short reopening will allow CHGOs to upload service contracts and finalise accommodation, transport and logistics arrangements for their pilgrims.
However, the Ministry of Minority Affairs circular warns that since only a limited number of zones and camps are now available in Mina, the allocation will happen on a real-time and first-come-first-serve basis. There is no clarity yet on how many tents or zones will be available or which zones they will be in.
To manage this process, a help desk has been set up at the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All CHGOs or their representatives have been asked to reach the help desk directly, along with details of their pilgrims and passport numbers, proof of accommodation in Mecca and Madinah, and evidence of payment, reveals a report and adds that there is no guarantee that all CHGOs will get equal or enough tents, and if camps are exhausted, many pilgrims may be left without basic accommodation in Mina—making it impossible to perform the mandatory rituals.

NEW GUIDELINES:

• 20% of the booked quota will be initially allocated to each CHGO.
• The remaining camps will be evenly distributed among all CHGOs.
• If there are still any leftover camps, they will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis.
  This process will be handled by the help desk at CGI Jeddah, and CHGOs have been asked to act urgently as the Saudi portal window may close anytime.
  Meanwhile, as the deadline approaches, thousands of Indian pilgrims and dozens of tour operators are watching anxiously, hoping for a miracle that will help them complete their journey to the holy land. The next few days will be crucial in determining whether they get to perform Haj or return home heartbroken.
  The Ministry’s circular has sent shockwaves through the private Haj sector, making it clear that only a fraction of pilgrims—just one in five bookings that were confirmed earlier—will be allowed to proceed for Haj under CHGOs this year. (STC)