Please Be Patient, The Ministry Of Religion Is Still Waiting For Saudi Arabia's Decision Regarding Hajj

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JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion is still waiting for Saudi Arabia's decision regarding the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage for Indonesian pilgrims during the 2022 Hajj Season.

"We are still waiting for Saudi Arabia's decision, whether Saudi Arabia opens the implementation of the pilgrimage or not," said Afrizal, Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organizing Division, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of the Riau Islands Province, as reported by Antara, Monday, March 14.

His party has not been able to make an announcement of residents who are entitled to leave for this year's hajj season, based on the queue number that has been compiled.

He said his party was still waiting for the President's decision regarding the cost of this year's pilgrimage.

"The issue of the cost proposed and discussed by the Ministry of Religion with the DPR RI and is still waiting for the Presidential Decree, amounting to Rp. 45,053,000," he said.

The cost of pilgrimage this year is relatively increased compared to previous years. According to him, this was due to considering the implementation of health protocols during worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For Hajj, we are still waiting for Saudi Arabia's decision," he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religion is optimistic that prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims can perform the Hajj in the 2022 or 1443 Hijri pilgrimage, after two years of failing to leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For the opportunity for the 2022 hajj, the Ministry of Religion is preparing itself from various aspects for its organizers," said the RI Ministry of Religion's Director General for Hajj and Umrah (PHU) Hilman Latief in Banda Aceh.

Hilman explained that the Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia is still coordinating with the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding the certainty of quotas and quotas that Saudi Arabia gives to prospective Indonesian pilgrims to leave for the Holy Land.