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Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenag)

VOInews, Jakarta : Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin 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 noted in his office's statement received on Monday.

Nasaruddin made the statement in Mecca on Sunday (November 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.

Umar also noted that during the hour-long meeting, Al Rabiah urged Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs to leave no stone unturned in preparing for next year's Hajj season.

"Thank God, Indonesia has established the Hajj Organizing Agency, which we expect to make significant contributions to the betterment of Indonesia's Hajj implementation," he remarked.

Apart from the additional quota bid, Umar also made the most of the meeting to urge the Saudi government against placing Indonesian pilgrims in the Mina Jadid area.

Furthermore, the two ministers discussed the Murur scheme, which would allow pilgrim buses to pass through Muzdalifah without stopping, enabling faster movement of pilgrims//Antara-VOI