Ahead of Hajj Season, BSI Records 76% Surge in Saudi Riyal Currency Exchanges

JAKARTA - PT Bank Syariah Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BSI has recorded an increase in transactions for exchanging currency to Saudi Riyal ahead of this year’s Hajj departure.

In the April-May 2026 period, the increase reached 76 per cent compared to the previous month.

BSI Deputy Director Bob T Ananta said this rise is in line with the increasing activities of prospective pilgrims in preparing for their worship travel needs, including pocket money provisions while in the Holy Land.

“Ahead of the Hajj season, we have prepared various supporting aspects to provide comfort for pilgrims,” he stated in a written release on Wednesday (29/4/2026).

On the other hand, Bob urged customers to utilise non-cash (cashless) transactions to enhance security and comfort during worship, so they do not need to carry large amounts of cash.

Meanwhile, in terms of deposits, BSI still dominates national Hajj banking services by managing around 83 per cent of Indonesian prospective pilgrims’ Hajj savings.

Currently, the company manages more than 7.2 million Hajj savings accounts, with about 47 per cent of them already on the departure waiting list.

As a marker of the start of 2026 Hajj operations, the first batch of Indonesian pilgrims was departed on 22 April 2026 from the Cipondoh Embarkation.

To support these needs, BSI has prepared 22 service booths spread across 16 main embarkation points and 6 intermediate embarkations.

The services provided include Riyal currency exchange, Hajj service consultations, and additional facilities such as massage machines at some points to enhance pilgrim comfort.

“We continue to optimise Hajj services ahead of the Hajj season until the return of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims upon arrival in the homeland,” said Bob.