Minister Reports Need for IDR 4 Trillion Down Payment for Hajj Tents
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, known as Gus Irfan, reported to the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII the need for funds amounting to IDR 4,007,471,880,797 to secure Hajj services for the coming year. The money will be used as a down payment to secure Hajj tents, basic services, and visas for prospective pilgrims for the 2027 season.
Gus Irfan conveyed this during a working meeting with Commission VIII at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday. He began by outlining the administrative timeline set by Saudi Arabia for next year’s Hajj. “The preparation timeline for the 1448 Hijri or 2027 AD Hajj season begins on 1 Safar, or 15 July, until 13 August 2026. This marks the end of the confirmation period to retain tents booked during the 1447 Hijri season by the Indonesian Hajj Affairs Office for use in the 1448 Hijri season through an initial contract for a full-service package with the service provider company,” Gus Irfan stated.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has submitted a letter detailing the need for the IDR 4 trillion down payment. Gus Irfan specified that the funds are required for transferring costs for tents, basic services, and visas. “Following up on these provisions, the Indonesian Hajj Affairs Office has submitted letter number 370/S/08/UH/VIII/2026 dated 5 July 2026 regarding the request for the transfer of tent costs and basic service packages for the 1448 Hijri or 2027 AD season,” he said. “This letter contains an estimated funding requirement of 858,743,189 Saudi riyals and 64 halalas, equivalent to IDR 4,007,471,880,797 and 299 sen, assuming an exchange rate of 1 Saudi riyal to IDR 4,666.67.”
Gus Irfan explained that his ministry needs IDR 808 billion to secure Hajj tents in Saudi Arabia for 2027, while basic services and visas require IDR 3 trillion. He detailed the breakdown as tent costs of 173,207,789 Saudi riyals and 64 halalas, or IDR 808,303,595,679 and 299 sen, and a basic services and visa package costing 685,535,400 Saudi riyals, or IDR 3,199,167,485,118.
He then emphasised the urgency of the down payment, stating it would secure tent locations for the next Hajj season. “The urgency of using the down payment, based on the timeline set by the Saudi Arabian government, is to comply with Saudi policy. Fulfilling this obligation within the specified timeframe is crucial to ensuring services for Indonesian pilgrims,” Gus Irfan said. He added that the payment is needed to confirm and retain tent locations used in the 1447 Hijri season for the 1448 Hijri season, and to potentially obtain better tent locations if other countries fail to confirm their bookings by the deadline.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah hopes Commission VIII will approve the down payment. Gus Irfan requested that the required funds be facilitated by the Hajj Financial Management Agency. “We request the approval of Commission VIII so that the budget allocation can be facilitated by the Hajj Financial Management Agency through a down payment mechanism for the 1448 Hijri Hajj Travel Costs funds. In principle, this down payment will be accounted for as a deduction in the subsequent request for Hajj Travel Costs funds, so it will not increase the overall funding requirement,” he concluded.