The Pandemic Condition Becomes The Benchmark Of Indonesia's Hajj Quota Recalculated Based On The Number Of Population

Illustration of prospective pilgrims from Indonesia performing their worship on the departure of 2022. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) to Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz Ahmad said the hajj quota would return to normal depending on health conditions and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

"So this is related to the COVID-19 pandemic, if the pandemic is considered over, I think the Saudi Arabian government will most likely return it to its original condition," he said in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, quoted from Antara, Friday, June 24.

He said that if conditions returned to normal, the quota would be calculated based on the population.

If there is a change in the population and a new quota, he said, it must go through the sessions set out in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This means that the OIC countries sit together to determine the actual quota.

"I have said several times that Indonesia's population has grown now. Maybe now it has reached 260-265 million people," he said.

This means, he said, there must be an additional number of pilgrims from 220 thousand to 265,000 and then an additional quota of 10 thousand to 275 thousand.

"That is if conditions are normal and our proposal for every quota request is granted," added Abdul Azis.

However, according to him, increasing the quota is not required and is the authority of the Saudi Arabian Government.

Likewise with the 65-year age restriction for pilgrims, he said, there may not be any restrictions depending on how the Saudi government views the pandemic and other health conditions.

Hajj season 1443H/2022M Indonesia's hajj quota of 100,051 people is reduced by half from 2019 due to pandemic conditions. However, the Saudi Arabian government has given an additional 10,000 hajj quota this year, bringing the total to 110,051 people.