First Shipment of Pasta Seasonings and RTE Foods Marks the Beginning of Integrated Management of Hajj and Umrah Economy

As a country with the largest number of Hajj pilgrims in the world, namely more than 200,000 Hajj pilgrims per year and 2 million Umrah pilgrims per year, Indonesia has a very large potential annual economic ecosystem. This potential encompasses various services, such as hospitality, transportation, logistics, consumption, and other supporting services, so Indonesia is expected to be able to take a strategic position in that value chain while ensuring that money circulation also occurs domestically. Strengthening the Hajj and Umrah economic ecosystem is one of the government’s focuses in maintaining the balance of national foreign exchange. This is in line with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto to reduce the outflow of foreign exchange and increase the inflow of foreign exchange. This collaboration not only aims to improve services for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims but also to provide positive impacts on the national economy. “The momentum of synergy between ministries/agencies and state-owned enterprises in Hajj logistics delivery starting in 2026 is just the initial step,” said Deputy for Coordinating the Management and Development of State-Owned Enterprises at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Ferry Irawan, as reported from ekon.go.id, Thursday (2/4/2026). “In the future, it will be further optimised for several other collaboration potentials, such as the delivery of Hajj and Umrah souvenirs as well as the delivery of food for the needs of Umrah pilgrims throughout the year, which will certainly have a direct impact on curbing the widening of the national services balance deficit and economic growth,” he continued. In line with this, the government is also encouraging the use of national products with Nusantara flavours for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims through the shipment of pasta seasonings and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods produced in Indonesia. In this first shipment phase, 100 tons of pasta seasonings and RTE foods will be sent. The shipment is carried out in stages from 2-6 April 2026. Meanwhile, the next phase shipment of 130 tons is scheduled within the period of 17-29 April 2026. A portion of the transportation services deficit comes from pilgrims’ expenditures utilising various logistics and consumption services from foreign providers.