DPR's Hajj Oversight Team: Armuzna Is the Real Test of Hajj Administration
Member of the DPR’s Hajj Oversight Team (Timwas), Marwan Dasopang, says that the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage is proceeding according to plan. The movement of Indonesian pilgrims to Madinah and Mecca has been relatively smooth, and major issues concerning hotels, meals, or the grouping of pilgrims have not been widely observed. Nevertheless, Dasopang emphasises that the journey of pilgrims to Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina (Armuzna) is the most sensitive point in the entire Hajj operation. ‘Indeed, the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage is Armuzna. It is there that the Hajj occurs,’ he said on Thursday (21 May).
Based on early monitoring results from the first wave of the Timwas now in Saudi Arabia, services for pilgrims are generally on track and in line with the government’s plan. However, a number of notes have been raised. ‘There are some services that may deviate, for example the use of wheelchair tariffs for pilgrims in need, but overall services remain in line with the plan,’ he said.
Marwan explained that experiences from previous Hajj seasons show that major problems tend to emerge as Armuzna begins. Transport problems, bus delays, crowding, and fatigued pilgrims are recurring challenges that must be anticipated early. Therefore Timwas Hajj DPR asks the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah RI together with Saudi authorities to prepare peak-Hajj mitigation steps. The DPR says alternative scenarios must be prepared if the distribution of transport fleets experiences on-site constraints.
Special attention is also given to elderly pilgrims (lansia) and high-risk pilgrims (risti) who are vulnerable to fatigue during the sequence of rites in Mina and the Jamarat. According to Marwan, the heaviest phase usually occurs when pilgrims must walk from the Mina tents to the stoning site and back again amid heat and dense crowds.
In the Timwas DPR assessment, the success of Hajj is not only measured by the smooth departure of pilgrims to the Holy Land. The government’s ability to guarantee the safety and health of pilgrims during the peak rites is far more crucial. The Armuzna phase is seen as the main test of coordination between the Indonesian government and the Saudi authorities in managing millions of pilgrims simultaneously. (H-2)
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