Hyderabad: First batch of Haj pilgrims leave from city
Hyderabad: The first batch of intending Haj pilgrims were given a warm farewell at Haj House in Nampally on early Tuesday morning with Telangana State Haj Committee Chairman, Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani Khusro Pasha flagging off the first bus amidst a gathering of dignitaries, including Syed Azamthullah Hussaini, chairman TG Waqf Board, Mohammed Obaidullah Kotwal chairman TG Minority Finance Corporation, and renowned scholar Maulana Mufti Khaleel Ahmed and others.
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India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
Entry ban for Indians in Saudi Arabia during Hajj? Here's the truth behind the viral claim
Saudi Arabia has not placed any new travel restrictions on Indian citizens. Sources connected to the Indian government have confirmed that no such official announcement has been made. On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs also dismissed reports claiming that Indians were facing travel restrictions to Saudi Arabia. Officials from the ministry explained that the Saudi government has not issued any notice about this. They clarified that during the Hajj season, it's common practice to temporarily pause or limit visas to manage large crowds. These temporary restrictions are lifted once the Hajj pilgrimage is over. 'This CLAIM is FALSE. FACT: The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Haj season, there are temporary restrictions on short term visas to avoid overcrowding during this season, which end with the conclusion of Haj,' the MEA's official FactCheck account posted on X. Government sources had made it clear that Saudi Arabia's move to temporarily halt Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including India, from April to June 2025, was to manage the massive Haj crowds and ensure safety. 'The suspension is a result of logistical, not political, compulsions as restrictions have been imposed on granting short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during the Haj season,' said an official. Saudi authorities, which strictly controls Haj, have stated that multiple-entry visas were being misused. Some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Haj without proper authorization. Saudi Arabia has been known to take such steps during the Hajj season every year due to security and administrative reasons. This year, these restrictions are expected to remain in effect until June 30.
Hans India
16 hours ago
- Hans India
MEA slams 'fake' reports on Saudi visa issue, says temporary restrictions on short term visas during Haj
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday termed media reports of Saudi Arabia suspending issuance of block work visas for citizens from 14 countries, including India, as "fake", asserting that the Saudi government has not issued any notification on the matter. "This CLAIM is FALSE. FACT: The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Haj season, there are temporary restrictions on short term visas to avoid overcrowding during this season, which end with the conclusion of Haj," the MEA's official FactCheck account posted on X. Earlier in the day, foreign policy experts had debunked reports and claims made by some opposition leaders about Saudi Arabia visa halt, asserting that the "temporary decision" would not affect the sturdy relationship between both nations. Government sources had made it clear that Saudi Arabia's move to temporarily halt Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including India, from April to June 2025, was to manage the massive Haj crowds and ensure safety. "The suspension is a result of logistical, not political, compulsions as restrictions have been imposed on granting short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during the Haj season," said an official. Saudi authorities, which strictly controls Haj, have stated that multiple-entry visas were being misused. Some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Haj without proper authorization. The over-crowding has also become a serious issue due to unauthorised pilgrims using long-term visit visas to bypass restrictions. This issue became particularly alarming in June 2024 when over 1300 pilgrims died due to overcrowding and extreme heat as temperatures exceeded 50 degree Celsius. Saudi authorities believe unregistered pilgrims significantly contributed to the crisis, necessitating tighter visa regulations. By restricting travel to single-entry visas, the Saudi government aims to ensure that only authorized pilgrims perform Haj, reducing risks associated with unregulated attendance. Saudi Arabia has called this suspension a temporary measure, but no timeline has been provided for a review. The Saudi government will monitor the impact before making further decisions. Despite such temporary restrictions, the Saudi government remains focused on expanding tourism with India under the Vision 2030 initiative. The bilateral trade between the two countries touched USD $43.36 billion in FY-2023-24. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country last month, India and Saudi Arabia signed USD $100 billion worth of agreements in energy, infrastructure, security, and innovation sectors, strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations. India's fifth-largest trading partner, Saudi Arabia continues to align its economic priorities amidst global market turbulence and energy realignments.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Mahim residents urge revival of Haj ships as cruise terminal opens
In a touching scene from the 1983 blockbuster Coolie, protagonist Iqbal (Amitabh Bachchan) plans to go for Haj and pray for the recovery of his seriously ill mother. However, just before boarding the passenger ship for Jeddah, he is stopped from travelling as he is suffering from a fever. Iqbal gives his ticket to a poor, old man and sends him off for Haj on his behalf, crooning the devotional number: 'Mubarak ho tum sabko Haj ka mahina...' The movie's script blocked Iqbal from boarding the ship for Haj. In real life, however, a group of Mahim residents have petitioned the govt to restart passenger ships to Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrimage. As the annual Haj for 2025 concluded this past week, the Mahim Residents' Group reiterated their old demand. The recent inauguration of the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal at Mazagon has rekindled their hopes. "Haj pilgrimage through the sea route was stopped in 1995 as the govt wanted pilgrims to travel by air and the travel was subsidised. Now the pilgrimage by flights has become costlier and poor pilgrims cannot afford it. Travel by ships will substantially reduce the cost," says Irfan Machiwala, one of the residents who is joined by Farooque Dhala, Syed M Ismail, and Syed Gulzar Ranam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo The advocates for restarting passenger ships for Haj cite a 2018 statement of then Union Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, where the minister said that the govt wanted to start Mumbai-Jeddah cruise ship services to ferry Haj pilgrims as a pilot project. "But the plan got shelved," says Dhala. In 2023, the residents wrote to the Maharashtra CM, PMO, Ministry of Minority Affairs, and even sought help from some MPs. On May 5, 2023, in a letter to Sarbananda Sonowal, then minister of ports, shipping, and waterways, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar wrote: "Poor Muslim pilgrims would have to pay much less for travel to Jeddah than they pay for airfares and it would be helpful in cutting down the Haj and Umrah cost. As part of the new Haj policy, the Modi govt planned 15 cruise trips for pilgrims from 2018 onwards. " It was the famous Khandwani family in Mahim that pioneered the commercial ships for Haj during the First World War. In 1914, four brothers, Abdullahmian Khandwani, Dadamian Khandwani, Mohammedmian Khandwani, and Abbamian Khandwani, bought three German ships and created the Khandwani Steam Navigation Company. In an article on the Khandwanis, journalist M A Siraj says that for the 10-day voyage from Bombay to Jeddah, the Khandwanis would charge up to Rs 210, with the price going down to Rs 10 per passenger, depending on the economic condition of the pilgrims. "The booking manager had instructions to insist on people paying according to their status, more in line with the spirit of the Hajj. But they must... It would take the ships ten days to ferry the pilgrims to Jeddah," writes Siraj. Sohail Khandwani, a descendant of the family, businessman, and managing trustee of Mahim and Haji Ali Dargahs, who lives in the iconic beachside villa, Khandwani House, in Mahim, says: "I feel privileged that my forebears pioneered the commercial ships for Haj pilgrimage. The govt should restart if it is viable today." Sohail's uncle Amin Khandwani, chairman of the Haj Committee of India (1982-89), told Siraj in an interview in 2005 that his grandfather Abba Mian Khandwani "would tie a talisman on the mast and sail off for Jeddah. " We speak to Asif Dadarkar, who owns a shipping company and whose uncle Mohammed Saeed Dadarkar was general manager at Mogul Lines Ltd, which operated two ships, MV Noorjahan and MV Akbar, to ferry Haj pilgrims. "Ferrying Haj pilgrims alone will not be commercially viable unless they are subsidised and allowed to cruise to other ports," says Dadarkar. Whether or not the govt restarts passenger ships for Haj by reintroducing a subsidy, for now the residents are keeping the faith.
