Hajj Pilgrimage Costs Likely to Increase
KETUA Komisi VIII DPR Marwan Dasopang said the cost of organising the Hajj pilgrimage is likely to increase next year. The cause is the rise in taxes and prices of goods in Saudi Arabia.
“The increase in prices and taxes in Saudi Arabia is unavoidable. So it is very likely that the Hajj costs will rise,” he said during the opening of the National Working Meeting on the Evaluation of Hajj Implementation in the Hajj Dormitory area, Jakarta, Saturday, 4 July 2026, as quoted from the Ministry of Hajj’s YouTube channel.
Nevertheless, Commission VIII of the DPR hopes there will be no increase in Hajj costs. He said Commission VIII and the Ministry of Hajj will discuss which budget items can be reduced. “For example, flight costs,” he said.
He expressed hope that the transportation of Hajj pilgrims could use just one airline. However, according to regulations, Hajj flights must be distributed among all airlines.
In addition, he noted there is jealousy from special Hajj pilgrims. The quality of hotels for regular Hajj pilgrims is better than that for special Hajj pilgrims. “Jealousy arises from the special Hajj side because the quality of hotels for regular pilgrims in Madinah is now in Ring 1, which sometimes exceeds the facilities for special Hajj pilgrims,” he said.
He also provided notes on the Ministry of Hajj’s challenges in handling overcrowding in Mina. He suggested that the tanazul policy, or the arrangement for the return and movement of pilgrims, be formulated carefully.
“It is necessary to ensure the readiness of pilgrims in implementing tanazul because the problem of overcrowding in Mina must be resolved immediately,” he said.
The Hajj Supervisory Team, he said, has currently completed the evaluation of the 2026 Hajj implementation. The team is waiting for the evaluation results from the Ministry of Hajj to be discussed together.
Nevertheless, he said the Hajj services were better than the previous year. He highlighted the smooth domestic Hajj services, such as visa processing and the determination of departing pilgrims. “But there are still things that need to be improved, especially regarding Hajj services abroad,” he said.
The operational activities for Indonesia’s 2026 Hajj officially concluded on 1 July 2026. The government received a total official quota allocation of 221,000 pilgrims. This year’s operational schedule began on 21 April 2026, with the peak of the wukuf at Arafah on 26 May 2026, and the repatriation process starting on 1 June and ending en masse on 30 June - 1 July 2026.