Indonesia Seeks Shorter Hajj Stays with More Flights, Gains Saudi Support

Indonesia's Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, is pursuing a strategy to make the Hajj pilgrimage more efficient by reducing the duration of stay for Indonesian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. This initiative involves increasing flight quotas for both Indonesian and Saudi Arabian airlines.

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Our discussions this afternoon were related to, first, the Saudi government strongly supports our plan to build Kampung Haji and they hope its construction will begin soon.

During a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Yusuf discussed the plan. Al-Jasser expressed strong support for the proposal to increase flight slots, which is expected to shorten the time pilgrims spend in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi minister also affirmed his government's backing for the development of 'Kampung Haji,' a dedicated Hajj village aimed at facilitating pilgrims' journeys.

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We also asked, in order to make the Hajj pilgrimage more efficient, to strive to reduce the stay in Saudi Arabia by increasing flight slots from Saudi Arabia as well as from Indonesia, so that it can reduce the stay in Saudi Arabia. Alhamdulillah, His Excellency the Minister of Transport of Saudi Arabia also gave his support.

While Yusuf acknowledged that the efficiency measures are separate from the direct cost calculations for pilgrims, he believes the policy will have a positive impact. The discussions also touched upon the development of 'Kampung Haji,' with the Saudi government eager for its construction to begin promptly. This collaborative effort between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia aims to enhance the overall Hajj experience for Indonesian pilgrims.

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Oh, that will be different later, there will be a different calculation later. God willing, it will have an effect later.