Hajj and Community Empowerment Discussed by Indonesian, Saudi Ministers

Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar called on Saudi Arabian Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq F. Al Rabiah to grant Indonesia an additional quota of Hajj officers for 2025, considering the country's high elderly pilgrim count.

"We have asked for increasing the number of our Hajj officers or at least keeping the amount of quota granted for the previous Hajj since we need (more) officers to serve many elderly pilgrims," he said on Monday, as quoted from Antara site.

The minister made the statement in Mecca on Sunday (Nov 24) after meeting with Al Rabiah at the Grand Mosque of Mecca, where they touched upon a range of issues, including preparations for the 2025 Hajj and people's empowerment.

The Indonesian minister explained that his plea for an additional quota was made in connection with the Saudi government's plan to slash Indonesia's Hajj officers' quota by 50 percent for next year's Hajj pilgrimage.

During the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage, Indonesia dispatched over four thousand Hajj officers stationed at airports, Medina, and Mecca.