RI 2025 Hajj Quota Agreement Remains 221,000, DPR Still Hopes Additional For Officers

UNSPLASH/Ishan ILLUSTRATION @seefromthesky

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, is grateful that the Indonesian and Saudi Arabian governments have finally signed a cooperation agreement for the implementation of the 2025 Hajj. One of the points of the agreement is that the quota for Hajj from Indonesia remains 221,000 people.

"We will oversee this agreement so that we can ensure that pilgrims from Indonesia can fulfill the obligations of this fifth Islamic unit with sincerity, health, and comfort," said Marwan, Thursday, January 16.

Nevertheless, Marwan still hopes that there will be additional quotas for Indonesian Hajj officers. It is known that Indonesian Hajj Officers received a quota of 2210 people or the equivalent of 1 percent of the total quota of Indonesian pilgrims.

According to Marwan, this number is still lacking. Given that as many as 221,000 pilgrims from Indonesia will come gradually to the holy land.

For information, as many as 110,000 Indonesian pilgrims are scheduled to arrive at Amir Mohammad Bin Abdul Azis Airport in Medina and return via King Abdul Azis Airport in Jeddah.

Meanwhile, as many as 110,500 Indonesian pilgrims used the route to arrive at King Abdul Azis Airport in Jeddah and returned via Amir Mohammad Bin Abdul Azis Airport in Medina.

"We still hope that there will be additional quotas," said Marwan.

To note, the signing of the cooperation in organizing the Indonesian Hajj Saudi Arabia was carried out by the Minister of Religion of Indonesia Nazaruddin Umar and the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia Tawfiq F. Al-Rabiah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This agreement officially marks the implementation of the stages of Hajj services for pilgrims from Indonesia.

Marwan said several points of agreement in cooperation in organizing Indonesian-Saudi Arabia Hajj include the number of hajj quotas from Indonesia, airport reception and repatriation of pilgrims from Indonesia, to accommodation, consumption, and transportation services for pilgrims from Indonesia.

"Commission VIII will ensure that the agreement between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia is applied to the implementation of the 2025 Hajj," he said.

Marwan said the Minister of Religion Nazaruddin Umar continued to lobby the Government of Saudi Arabia so that there would be leeway in the life limit for pilgrims from Indonesia. The Minister of Religion conveyed the condition of Indonesian pilgrims who were forced to queue for quite a long time to go for Hajj.

"The waiting list for Hajj in Indonesia is quite long. There are even areas in Sulawesi that have to wait almost 50 years to go for Hajj so that many of our pilgrims are old," said Marwan.

In addition, the limitations of places in Mina are also discussed by both parties. The Minister of Religion proposed a tanazil scheme (returning to a non-mabit hotel in Mina) which allowed Indonesian pilgrims not to stay in Mina's tent but to stay at a hotel around the congregation (where to throw the jumrah).

According to Marwan, the proposal submitted by the Indonesian side was welcomed by the Ministry of Saudi Arabia.

"The proposal for a tanazul is approved but what kind of scheme, must be simulated first," he concluded.