Dahnil: Hajj Ticket Auction System to Realise Istitha'ah
Deputy Minister for Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated that the ‘war’ or auction system for Hajj tickets is an effort to realise istitha’ah. Istitha’ah is a mandatory requirement for Hajj worship, meaning the ability financially, physically, and mentally.
The statement was delivered by Dahnil when closing the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday night, 10 April 2026. According to Dahnil, the discourse on implementing the ticket auction system arose as a response to Indonesia’s Hajj waiting list reaching 5.7 million people.
He said one alternative for implementing the intended ticket auction system is by allocating additional Hajj quotas from Saudi Arabia to pilgrims who are materially and health-wise capable of departing immediately.
According to Dahnil, this step is an implementation of upholding the mandatory Hajj requirement, namely istitha’ah. “This is our effort to realise true istitha’ah. If there is a large additional quota, we can decide together with the DPR to open this scheme for those who are materially and health-capable to depart immediately,” said Dahnil, quoted from a written statement on Saturday, 11 April 2026.
On that occasion, Dahnil initially spoke about the government’s desire to carry out a radical transformation in Hajj financial management. He explained that the Ministry of Hajj’s main focus currently is how to cut the Hajj waiting list, make costs affordable, but keep the finances healthy.
“The waiting list issue and the financial issue are interconnected. We cannot talk about cutting the waiting list without discussing financial readiness. Likewise, our Hajj finances will not be healthy if the waiting management is chaotic and unmeasured,” he stated.
Besides cutting the waiting list, the former spokesperson for Prabowo Subianto conveyed that the transformation of Hajj fund management is also carried out by tightening Hajj cost components in Saudi Arabia, thus able to suppress costs borne by pilgrims.
“This financial transformation is not just about numbers, but about safeguarding the trust of millions of pilgrims who have entrusted their money. We want a healthy and sustainable Hajj financial ecosystem in the long term,” he said.
Historically, the Hajj waiting system began to apply in Indonesia in 2008. This system was implemented because public interest in performing Hajj was very high, exceeding the annual quota given by Saudi Arabia.
The discourse to abolish the waiting system and implement ticket auctions emerged after President Prabowo Subianto ordered the Ministry of Hajj to revolutionise Hajj organisation. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said one idea that emerged is to abolish the waiting system and switch to a ticket auction mechanism or direct registration.
Irfan said that system was once implemented in Indonesia before the Hajj Financial Management Agency was formed. In the past, Irfan explained, the applicable system was direct registration or ticket auctions.
At that time, the government would announce the current year’s Hajj costs and available quotas, then open registration for a certain period. Anyone with good financial and physical capability could register directly. The pilgrims who could depart were those who paid the Hajj costs first and secured the tickets.