Indian Pilgrims Benefit from High-Speed Railway Service in Saudi Arabia
Traditionally, all pilgrims arriving at Jeddah International Airport travel to Makkah by buses provided by Saudi authorities. However, this year, a groundbreaking initiative has been launched by the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, in collaboration with Saudi authorities, allowing some Indian pilgrims to travel via the Haramain High Speed Railway from Jeddah airport to Makkah.
Approximately 32,000 Indian pilgrims will have the privilege of utilizing this exclusive service, cutting their travel time in half thanks to the train’s impressive maximum speed of 300 kph.
To mark this historic occasion, India’s ambassador, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, and Consul General Mohd Shahid Alam personally accompanied Indian pilgrims on the inaugural journey from Jeddah airport to Makkah on Sunday.
The pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom on a Saudia flight from Mumbai and were joined by Khaled Al-Harbi, senior vice president of operations at Saudi Arabia Railways, along with officials from the ministries of Hajj and Umrah, and transport.
For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia is offering direct transportation for a limited number of Hajj pilgrims from Jeddah airport to Makkah by train.
This year, a total of 175,000 pilgrims from India will participate in the Hajj, with 140,000 being organized through the Hajj Committee of India.