New Saudi rules could reshape Indonesia's 2027 hajj operations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf stated that the government will adjust preparations for the 2027 Hajj pilgrimage in accordance with the timeline provided by the Saudi Arabian government.

“We have received the Hajj timeline from the Saudi Arabian government on the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah,” Yusuf said while leading the return of the Indonesian Hajj organizing team (Amirul Hajj) at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Monday.

He explained that the document sets a requirement of 1.5 doctors and 1.7 nurses for every 1,000 pilgrims.

With Indonesia’s Hajj quota exceeding 200,000 pilgrims, this translates to around 300 doctors and nearly 400 nurses.

"And we have not yet been able to meet this requirement. Therefore, we must work hard to fulfill it by 2027," Yusuf said.

In addition, Saudi Arabia has mandated that Hajj service contracts be processed through the Nusuk platform, with payments made via an e-wallet system.

Yusuf said the Saudi government is increasingly optimizing the e-Nusuk application to streamline Hajj services.

“This will make it easier for all pilgrims,” he added.

The timeline also includes health requirements for pilgrims and provisions on the maximum number of syarikah, or Hajj service providers, that may be used in operations.

Yusuf said Indonesia will review the requirement limiting operations to a single syarikah, noting that managing more than 200,000 pilgrims under one provider could be challenging.

“It is stated that only one syarikah is allowed, but we will discuss this further, as handling more than 200,000 pilgrims through a single provider would be difficult,” he said.

He added that Indonesia has also received the payment schedule from Saudi Arabia and will align national preparations accordingly.

“We will immediately adjust Indonesia’s Hajj timeline to match Saudi Arabia’s schedule to ensure optimal preparation for the 2027 Hajj,” he said.

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Translator: Asep, Kenzu

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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