Ministry Of Religion Affirms Diplomatic Note On Hajj Sent By Saudi Arabia Is Not A Warning

The Director General of Hajj and Umrah (PHU) of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion, Hilman Latief, emphasized that the diplomatic note sent by the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding the implementation of Indonesian Hajj was not a warning, but a form of official communication between governments whose contents have been fully followed up by Indonesia.

"The contents of the memorandum are issues that we have discussed, resolved, and consolidated with the Ministry of Hajj Saudi long before the peak of the hajj. So, nothing new," Hilman said at a press conference in Medina, Saudi Arabia, quoted by Antara, Saturday, June 21.

He highlighted the hectic news regarding the leaking of the contents of the diplomatic note in the media, which he said did not describe the actual substance.

The official letter was received by the Minister of Religion, Director General of PHU, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Directorate of the Middle East. It contains a number of technical notes that are common every Hajj season and are part of routine evaluations.

These notes include the problem of discrepancies in flight manifest data due to changes in congregations, the movement of some pilgrims from Medina to Makkah which does not go through the scheme of a service company (syarikah), as well as the dynamics of placing hotels involving pilgrims from different sharia in one group.

"Everything we have handled with Saudi partners, there is no violation of principles. Even in many ways, we are proactively looking for solutions in the field," said Hilman.

Although Saudi Arabia provided notes on the implementation of Indonesian Hajj, according to Hilman, the note did not mention any consequences of the memorandum against the Indonesian Hajj quota in 2026.

The determination of the quota, according to him, is a separate process that will be officially announced by the Government of Saudi Arabia on July 10, 2025, or to coincide with 15 Muharram 1447 Hijri through the Nusuk Masyar platform.

The health of the elderly

Another note concerns the health condition of elderly pilgrims who are of concern to Saudi Arabia. According to Hilman, this has been the focus of the government since the beginning of departure and will be a material for future improvements, including the matter of selecting high risk pilgrims.

As for the mechanism for slaughtering dam (hadyu), Hilman stated that Indonesia had established intensive communication and prepared a contract with the official Saudi platform, Adahi, although its implementation was still adjusting the readiness of the congregation.

This memorandum is part of cooperation diplomacy. The Ministry of Religion is grateful that Saudi Arabia delivered it formally.

"This shows a healthy, open, and constructive relationship," he said.