DPR Members Criticise Distance of Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims' Hotels in Saudi Arabia, Highlighting Security Risks
JAKARTA - Members of the House of Representatives Commission VIII have criticised the location of accommodations for Indonesian hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, deeming them too far from the main worship activities.
This situation is feared to disrupt the pilgrims’ devotion during worship and pose risks to their safety.
Commission VIII member Selly Andriany Gantina expressed surprise upon discovering hotels for pilgrims located far beyond the agreed terms.
“We established the Ministry of Hajj with the hope that its services would differ from those of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. As conveyed by the Deputy Minister, there should be no more cartels, and this must be properly implemented,” Selly stated during a working meeting with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Hajj Financial Management Agency on Wednesday (8/4/2026).
However, Selly continued, the facts on the ground show hotels located much farther than the specified limits.
“I was so shocked when I visited one hotel called Al-Hidayah. In this forum, we agreed that the farthest hotel distance would be 4 or 5 kilometres. But Al-Hidayah is nearly 13 kilometres away,” she said.
“After all, the purpose of hajj worship is to achieve full devotion in performing the rituals. Imagine if pilgrims are given the farthest accommodations, almost near Arafah. How should we address that?” she added.
From the inspection results, Husni noted that the travel time for pilgrims from the accommodation site to the worship centre could reach 30 minutes, and the distance does not match the initial agreement.
“Yesterday, our supervisory team just returned from inspections in both Mecca and Medina. There is one crucial issue we observed there regarding the placement of hajj pilgrims in Syisyah Janubiyah, specifically Al Hidayah. The distance is about 13 kilometres in a secluded position, and the travel time, as seen on Google Maps, is around 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes,” Husni said.
He is concerned that cases of pilgrims getting lost while travelling from the accommodation to the worship centre might recur.
“Regarding the tracking system and mitigation for lost pilgrims, we are seriously highlighting the protection and monitoring system for pilgrims’ whereabouts in the field. The accommodation being far away was mentioned earlier. This also constitutes a serious risk if pilgrims go missing in the future,” said Dini.
“The case of lost hajj pilgrims in previous hajj operations serves as an alarm for us all in handling such crises. What technological breakthroughs or tracking methods will be implemented for the pilgrims?” she asked.
Dini emphasised that the state has an obligation to ensure such incidents do not recur.
“Here, the state has a duty to ensure that no such cases happen again, no more lost pilgrims who are even still not found to this day,” she concluded.