Haj 2026: About 700 Pilgrims from Erstwhile Hyderabad State Selected for Free Accommodation in Mecca
The Awqaf Committee conducts the draw of lots every year to provide free accommodation to pilgrims performing Haj at the Rubaths in Mecca
Hyderabad: A total of 695 Haj pilgrims have been selected for free accommodation provided at the Nizam’s Rubath in Saudi Arabia this year. They were selected through a draw of lots (Qurrah) from about 10,000 pilgrims domiciled in the erstwhile Hyderabad State and performing pilgrimage through the Haj Committee. Each of the selected pilgrims would save nearly `55,000.
The Qurrah was conducted by the Awqaf Committee H.E.H. The Nizam at Chowmahalla Palace on Tuesday. The draw of lots was carried out digitally using software by Awqaf Committee member M.A. Faiz Khan; TGMREIS president Faheem Qureshi; State Haj Committee chairman Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani; and director, Hyderabad Nizam Rubath, Hussain Mohammed Mudar Al Shareef.
The Awqaf Committee conducts the draw of lots every year to provide free accommodation to pilgrims performing Haj at the Rubaths in Mecca. The process is carried out in coordination with the Haj Committee of India.
According to organisers, the boarding facility was established as a charitable endowment by the Nizams of Hyderabad. The Rubaths were acquired to ensure safe, comfortable and free lodging for pilgrims from the erstwhile Hyderabad State visiting the holy cities. The accommodation facility has been made possible through the consolidation of waqfs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Mukarram Jah, the Eighth (titular) Nizam of Hyderabad. Over the many decades, it has remained a significant institution reflecting the Nizam-era tradition of welfare and philanthropy. In 2025, 710 pilgrims availed free accommodation.
