Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Ensures Ready-to-Eat Meals for Pilgrims Can Be Eaten Directly

Makkah — The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has confirmed that Ready to Eat (RTE) meals supplied for prospective Hajj pilgrims during the peak of practical Hajj can be consumed directly and do not require cooking or heating beforehand. Jaenal Effendi, Director-General for the Development of the Hajj Economic Ecosystem at Kemenhaj, said the practicality is designed specifically to ease pilgrims’ activities while in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina (Armuzna). ‘This can be opened and eaten. There is no need to heat,’ he said in Makkah on Wednesday (20 May 2026). The meal packaging is also designed to be functional so that it can be used directly as a dining container. To prevent confusion on the field, Hajj officials will be on standby to provide education. ‘There is concern that some prospective pilgrims are not accustomed to eating RTE meals. Officials will explain that it is simply to be opened, the packaging cut, and then eaten,’ he added.