Dadan Reveals Plans to Extend Free Nutritious Meal Programme to Indonesian Students in Jeddah

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has revealed the origins of the idea to implement the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme for Indonesian students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dadan stated that the idea emerged during his visit to the Indonesian School in Jeddah on his return journey to Indonesia.

Dadan explained that the visit took place while he was in Jeddah and preparing to return home. At the time, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Jeddah invited him to visit the Indonesian School in Jeddah to meet with students and teachers.

“On my way back to the homeland, my flight was from Jeddah. The Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah invited me to see the Indonesian School in Jeddah and to socialise with some of the students and all the teachers,” Dadan Hindayana said when contacted on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

During the meeting, Dadan noted that students and teachers expressed interest in the MBG programme currently being implemented by the government in Indonesia. They expressed hope that a similar programme could be extended to Indonesian students studying in Jeddah.

According to Dadan, the aspirations of the school community served as the starting point for the proposal to extend MBG services to Indonesian schools abroad. However, he emphasised that no decision has been made regarding the implementation of the programme, as further discussions with the President are necessary.

“They are aware of the MBG programme and they want it. I informed them that I would report to the President first,” Dadan said.

As of now, Dadan stated that he has not yet reported the plan to President Prabowo Subianto. He could not confirm whether the proposal would be accepted by the Head of State. “If there is an opportunity to meet the President, I will convey it,” Dadan added.

In an interview with Kompas, Dadan mentioned that there are at least 1,080 children of migrant workers studying at the specific Indonesian school in Jeddah. In addition to that school, there is also an Indonesian school in Makkah with approximately 400 students.

If the plan is approved by the President, Makkah would become the first international location to receive the MBG programme. Dadan noted that he cannot yet explain the exact concept for the distribution of the meals before discussing it with the Head of State.