The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of India Mr. Saleh Mohd. Al-Ghamdi participated along with the Minister of External Affairs of India H.E. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi Mrs. Sheila Dikshit in a ceremony held at the New Delhi airport on Monday 12^th November 2007 to bid farewell to the first group of Indian Haj pilgrims for this year.

After the address of the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs of India to the gathering, the Ambassador also spoke on the occasion whereby he thanked Indian Haj authorities for inviting him and expressed his appreciation for the kind words of the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He wished the Indian pilgrims, numbering around 157 thousand this year, a blessed pilgrimage and safe return to home.

The Ambassador also informed the gathering of the continuous efforts being made by the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in order to ensure the performance of Haj rituals by the pilgrims in a smooth and safe manner. He stressed that serving the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims from across the world is a great honour for the Government and people of the Kingdom.