National Hajj Commission Appreciates President Prabowo's Breakthroughs in Hajj Management
The National Hajj Commission (Komnas Haji) has appreciated the steps taken by President Prabowo Subianto, which are seen as demonstrating high seriousness in overhauling the management of Hajj pilgrimage services. This was stated following various policies and strategic directives from the President at the Government Working Meeting with members of the Red and White Cabinet on 8 April 2026.
Komnas Haji Chairman, Mustolih Siradj, assessed that the President’s attention to the Hajj sector is not merely normative but is realised through concrete actions that touch on various crucial aspects of Hajj organisation.
“The President has shown a very strong commitment to comprehensively reforming Hajj management. This is not just about services, but also efficiency, favouring pilgrims, and the courage to take breakthroughs that have been delayed for so long,” said Mustolih in his statement on Thursday (9/4).
In the meeting, the President highlighted several strategic issues, from reducing Hajj costs, cutting waiting times, to strengthening supporting infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
For the 2026 Hajj, the Hajj costs were successfully reduced by an average of Rp2 million per pilgrim compared to the previous year. This reduction occurred amid global energy price fluctuations due to tensions in the Middle East. The President also reaffirmed his commitment not to burden pilgrims with additional costs.
In addition, the waiting queue for Hajj pilgrims, which was previously long, has now been cut to around 26 years and is targeted to continue decreasing in the future.
The President also encouraged the construction of a special terminal for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. This plan has been directly communicated with the Saudi government as part of efforts to smooth pilgrim mobility.
To date, Indonesian Hajj pilgrims land at two main airports, namely King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which is about 90 km from Mecca, and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, which is about 450 km from Mecca. The presence of a special terminal is seen as accelerating and facilitating the mobility of hundreds of thousands of Indonesian pilgrims.
In the air transport sector, the President has also taken quick steps by instructing Garuda Indonesia and Saudia to explore cooperation or a joint venture. These two airlines have long been the backbone of Hajj flights.
This step was taken to address flight inefficiencies, where aircraft often fly without passengers in one phase of the journey, either outbound or return. This condition burdens operational costs as full fees are still charged despite empty seats.
“Cooperation between airlines is a concrete solution to reduce the biggest cost in Hajj organisation, namely the aviation sector. This is an important breakthrough with the potential to break the deadlock that has occurred for decades,” said Mustolih.
Komnas Haji also views the various presidential policies as part of ongoing steps in Hajj organisation reform. Previously, the government has realised the establishment of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah separate from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as well as starting the construction of Hajj Village in Saudi Arabia.
According to Mustolih, these policies will become an important foundation in building a more modern, efficient Hajj ecosystem for Indonesia that is oriented towards pilgrim services.
“Komnas Haji appreciates the seriousness and favour towards the President in Hajj organisation. These strategic steps show a new direction in Hajj management that is better and sustainable,” he concluded.