For the first time in the history of the Indian Consulate in Saudi Arabia, a woman has taken charge as the Hajj Consul. The appointment of Sadaf Choudhary, a native of Roorkee in Uttarakhand, came as she was serving as the Head of Chancery at the Indian Consulate in Marseille, France.
A 23rd rank holder in the 2020 batch of the Civil Services Examination, Chaudhary secured the highest rank in the Muslim category.
As the Hajj Consul, Sadaf will play a pivotal role alongside the Indian Ambassador and Consul General in coordinating matters such as the welfare, security, and accommodation for the hundreds of thousands of Indian pilgrims. She will also lead efforts to smooth Hajj operations by working in collaboration with Saudi authorities and various Hajj service agencies.
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Her appointment is as the successor to Mohammed Abdul Jaleel, a native of Kannur, who has been transferred to the Union Ministry of External Affairs as a Secretary in charge of the Bangladesh-Myanmar desk. In addition to the Hajj department, she will also hold charge of the Commerce department, which was previously managed by former Consul Mohammed Hashim, who has been transferred to the Union Ministry of External Affairs.
Additionally, Imam Mehdi Hussain has also newly taken charge at the Jeddah Consulate as the Head of Chancery for the Press, Information, and Cultural departments. Imam Hussain, a native of Champaran in Bihar, has also previously served at the Indian Embassy in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
