Government Proposes Hajj Ticket Auction, Pilgrims No Longer Need to Queue, First Come First Served

The Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is proposing a major change in the Hajj pilgrimage departure system through a “ticket auction” scheme so that prospective pilgrims no longer have to endure long queues. Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, revealed that the idea stems directly from instructions by President Prabowo Subianto, who desires breakthroughs to make Hajj implementation faster and more efficient.

“Now, the President wants you to think about how to make Hajj without queuing. That’s what we’re formulating,” said Dahnil when met after an audience with Deputy National Police Chief Dedi Prasetyo at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah office on Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, on Thursday (9/4/2026).

According to Dahnil, the long Hajj queues in Indonesia are inseparable from the management of Hajj funds, which continue to grow along with the increasing number of registrants. Since the establishment of the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH), the number of prospective pilgrims has increased significantly, impacting the length of the waiting list.

“Because there is Hajj financing, we’re forced to queue. The more there are, the longer the queue,” said Dahnil.

He compared the system in several countries. Malaysia, for example, also experiences long queues because it uses a Hajj Savings system. Meanwhile, in other countries like India, the queues are not as long as in Indonesia.

Dahnil explained that the “ticket auction” scheme being studied refers to the distribution of the Hajj quota from Saudi Arabia, which is then offered directly to prospective pilgrims without having to go through a years-long waiting list.

“That’s why last night, for example, Mr Minister, we were thinking about how to avoid queuing, like the ticket auction model. So we are given a quota of 200,000 by Saudi Arabia, then we set the price, and then no need to queue,” he clarified.