Jeddah, May 14 -- A group of all-women Haj pilgrims from the southern Indian state of Kerala arrived at the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, May 14.

They were welcomed with flowers by India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr Suhel Khan, and his wife Rifat Khan, the Indian embassy of India in Riyadh said on X.

The women are travelling under the Government of India's 'Lady Without Mehram' initiative, which allows female pilgrims to perform Haj without a male guardian.

In 2023, a record 4,314 Indian women performed Haj without a male companion for the first time. That year, India also launched its first all-women Haj flight. Air India Express flight IX 3025 carried 145 women from Ko...