VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government and the Saudi Arabian government have signed a Hajj agreement (Ta'limatul Hajj) for the 1445 Hijriah or 2024 Hajj season. This signing was carried out by the Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq F. Al-Rabiah, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday (8/1).  According to Minister  Qoumas, both countries agreed on several things, one of which is that there are 241,000  Indonesian pilgrims who will depart for Saudi. This number consists of 221,000 normal quotas and 20,000 additional quotas which have been approved by the King of Saudi Arabia. According to Qoumas, this number is the largest in the history of the Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage.

As quoted by the official website of the Ministry of Religion, in 2019 Indonesia received a quota of 231,000 Hajj pilgrims. This number has been reduced by around half due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to only 100,051 pilgrims in 2022. Meanwhile, for the 2023 Hajj, Indonesia received a quota of 229,000 people. The Minister of Religion pointed out that apart from increasing the quota, there are some increases in pilgrimage services agreed in Ta 'limatul Hajj. One of them is related to the placement of the congregation in Mina. The Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia can determine the position of the congregation's tent which is closer to the Jamarat or the place of throwing the Jumroh, as long as the implementation of the contract is carried out more quickly.

The Saudi Arabian government also gives the Indonesian government the freedom to choose service providers (syarikah) during the peak of the Hajj. According to Qoumas, this opens up the opportunity to choose the best service provider for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. On the same occasion, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, stated his commitment to provide the best service for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. Tawfiq expressed his happiness  to be able to serve Hajj pilgrims from all over the world, particularly from Indonesia. Tawfiq further conveyed  that the Saudi Arabian government is open to discussions to improve services for Hajj pilgrims.

Besides signing Ta'limatul Hajj, Minister of Religion Yaqut is also scheduled to hold a coordination meeting regarding preparations for holding the Hajj pilgrimage this year. Qoumas has been visiting Saudi Arabia since Sunday (7/1), and is scheduled to be in the country until Thursday (11/1). The peak of this year's Hajj pilgrimage will take place in mid-June 2024.//