Deputy Minister confident Hajj service quality will continue to improve

MAKKAH, Kompas.com – Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs and member of the Amirul Hajj 1447 H/2026 M, Romo Muhammad Syafi’i, is optimistic that Hajj services will continue to improve in the future.

This follows significant enhancements across various sectors serving Indonesian pilgrims this year.

‘Going forward, I am confident that Hajj will continue to improve. What happens in 2026 will be the foundation for major improvements in the future,’ Romo said in a statement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, 31 May 2026.

According to Romo Syafi’i, the creation of a dedicated ministry represents a strategic and historic move.

For the first time since Indonesia’s independence, Hajj affairs are managed by a focused, integrated, and more responsive institution.

Romo Syafi’i noted that this institutional transformation has injected fresh momentum into the 2026 Hajj organisation.

Several improvements are evident from the preparatory phase in Indonesia, including stricter health eligibility checks that resulted in the cancellation of 345 prospective pilgrims for safety reasons.

Shalawat buses operate 24 hours a day, hotel services are better organised and more comfortable, and food quality is assessed as stable and good.

In healthcare, collaboration with Saudi German Hospital and strengthened satellite clinics have accelerated pilgrim care.

During peak Hajj operations, tent arrangements based on kloter in Arafah and Mina are equipped with air conditioning, and 18 buggy vehicles have been prepared to assist elderly and fatigued pilgrims.

He noted that these reforms have also received appreciation from the Saudi Arabian government.