Hajj and Umrah Minister Orders Additional Tents for Indonesian Pilgrims in Arafah

Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) acted swiftly to address a discrepancy between the recorded tent capacity for Indonesian pilgrims in Arafah and the actual space available on the ground, after Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf led a field inspection with Amirulhaj officials on Thursday (21 May). ‘We see a difference between the figures in the records and the reality of the tents. Therefore we are requesting additional tents to accommodate those not counted in the discrepant figures,’ said the minister, known as Gus Irfan.

The capacity gap was identified after the team compared written data with the space available on site. In a manual check, a tent claimed to have a capacity of 360 people was found to be able to accommodate only 332 pilgrims, resulting in a shortfall of 28. The ministry immediately initiated mitigation by coordinating with the Syarikah to bring in spare tents as quickly as possible. ‘Hopefully within five days we can address all the shortfalls,’ Gus Irfan said.

In addition to physical availability of tents, Kemenhaj will also take firm action against unilateral rental practices by the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group (KBIHU) who insisted on placing markers for their group in the Arafah tent area. Deputy Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak promptly removed a sheet bearing the name of a KBIHU that had been deliberately pasted on the outer tent wall. This step is intended to ensure fairness for all pilgrims, without exception. ‘There will be no more KBIHU interfering with tents; we are the ones in charge,’ Gus Irfan added.

The statement was also conveyed to the Syarikah to reassure them there is no need to fear pressure or intervention by KBIHU members. The Indonesian government retains full control over pilgrim placement to ensure the 2026 Hajj services are maximised. ‘If KBIHU cannot be managed by us, we will not continue their license,’ Gus Irfan said. (H-4)

On 9 Zulhijah (Tuesday, 26 May 2026), pilgrims will perform wuquf at Arafah before moving to Muzdalifah and Mina in the afternoon to evening.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, praised the dedication of Hajj officials serving Indonesian pilgrims in 2026, particularly the elderly. The second Indonesian Amirul Hajj delegation landed at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday (19 May), led by the Minister.