Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Holds National Meeting to Evaluate 2026 Hajj, Discusses Officer Recruitment and Health Istithaah
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) of the Republic of Indonesia held a National Working Meeting (Rakernas) to evaluate the implementation of the 1447 H/2026 M Hajj pilgrimage with the theme ‘Improving Without Ceasing, Delivering Humane, Professional and Adaptive Hajj Services’ as an initial step in formulating the policy direction for the pilgrimage. This national forum serves as a moment for consolidation and the formulation of a grand strategy to deliver increasingly high-quality and humane Indonesian Hajj services.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Hajj, Teguh Dwi Nugroho, emphasised that all evaluation results from the 2026 Hajj implementation will become an important foundation for preparing the following season’s pilgrimage. According to him, this Rakernas is not merely an evaluation forum, but a shared space to build an increasingly robust ecosystem for Hajj implementation.
‘Every challenge we encounter, from the preparation stage, operations in Saudi Arabia, to the repatriation process of pilgrims, must be used as a lesson to deliver services that are increasingly professional, fast, adaptive, and humane,’ Teguh said while opening the Rakernas at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, Jakarta, Saturday (4/7/2026).
According to Teguh, the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage is a complex public service involving many stakeholders. Therefore, evaluation must be carried out comprehensively so that every resulting policy truly answers the needs of the pilgrims.
The Rakernas focused on three main objectives: identifying various technical and non-technical issues during Hajj operations in Saudi Arabia up to the repatriation phase; measuring the achievement of service targets in the areas of accommodation, transportation, consumption, health, worship guidance, and digital services; and formulating strategic recommendations as a basis for improving future Hajj implementation.
The Rakernas discussions covered the entire service chain of Hajj implementation, including quota management, Hajj travel cost settlement, guidance and manasik training, officer recruitment, health istithaah, implementation of the Nusuk service, embarkation and debarkation operations, accommodation, transportation, and consumption services in Saudi Arabia, the peak Hajj phase, evaluation of syarikah services, and digital transformation through the strengthening of Siskohat, Siskohatkes, and Kawal Haji. The meeting also discussed institutional strengthening, regulation, governance, human resources, and cross-ministerial and agency coordination.
A total of 967 participants attended the Rakernas, centred at the Class I Hajj Dormitory and Galaxy Field of the Jaya Regional Military Command, Halim, Jakarta. They are the frontliners of Hajj implementation from the central Ministry of Hajj, provincial regional offices, district/city offices, and managers of class I and class II Hajj dormitories across Indonesia.
During the Rakernas, participants took part in policy briefings, group discussions, Q&A sessions, and the formulation of recommendations that will serve as material for drafting the next Hajj implementation policy. The forum featured speakers from various strategic institutions, including the Minister of Hajj, Deputy Minister of Hajj, Chair of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Member V of the Audit Board of Indonesia, directors general within the Ministry of Hajj, the Inspector General, the Indonesian Ombudsman, and the Technical Hajj Staff of the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah.
Not only focusing on policy evaluation, the Rakernas also included a retreat activity guided by instructors and facilitators from the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the National Police as part of strengthening leadership, organisational solidity, discipline, and collaboration among officers.
‘The transformation of Hajj implementation cannot be achieved solely through system changes. What is more important is building a collaborative, responsive, and pilgrim-oriented work culture. From this Rakernas, we aim to produce implementable recommendations so that Indonesia’s Hajj services continue to improve year after year,’ Teguh explained.
The National Working Meeting for the Evaluation of the 1447 H/2026 M Hajj Pilgrimage is expected to produce strategic recommendations capable of strengthening the national governance of Hajj implementation while serving as a foundation for the Ministry of Hajj in delivering increasingly safe, comfortable, professional, and humane services for all pilgrims.