Saudi Arabia Allows Umrah, House Leader: This Is Proof That Indonesia Can Handle COVID-19

JAKARTA - The Saudi Arabian government has finally allowed the implementation of Umrah for pilgrims from Indonesia. This certainty came after the Government of Saudi Arabia delivered a diplomatic note to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta on Friday, October 8.

In response to this, the leadership of the Indonesian House of Representatives assessed that the re-issue of the Umrah permit proved that the Government of Saudi Arabia believed that Indonesia was able to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Alhamdulillah, currently COVID-19 cases in the country continue to decline, and hopefully conditions will continue to improve. I invite the public not to be careless, continue to apply health protocols strictly", said Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for People's Welfare, Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, Tuesday, October 12.

Muhaimin said that the permitting of Indonesia to perform Umrah was good news that the Muslim community had been waiting for for a long time.

"Our society has long wanted to be able to perform Umrah. After a long period of not performing Umrah due to the pandemic, Alhamdulillah, now the Government of Saudi Arabia has permitted to return to Indonesian Umrah pilgrims", he said.

The general chairman of the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB) fraction asked the government and Umrah travel agents to optimally prepare for the departure of prospective Umrah pilgrims.

"So that later when it is actually implemented there will be no more obstacles in the field", explained Muhaimin.

Previously, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said that the Embassy had received information from competent parties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding regulations for the resumption of Umrah for Indonesian Umrah pilgrims.

The Saudi Arabian government will also consider Indonesian pilgrims to undergo a five-day quarantine if they do not meet the required health standards.

A special committee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently working to minimize all obstacles that prevent Indonesian Umrah pilgrims from being able to perform Umrah.

The diplomatic note also stated that the two parties were in the final stages of discussing the exchange of technical links with Indonesia which explained visitors' information related to vaccines and would facilitate the process of entering the congregation.