Parliament Highlights Hajj Catering Services Amid Saudi Arabia Inflation

Rising prices of various basic necessities in Saudi Arabia due to inflation in the country have become a concern in organising the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. This is particularly related to consumption services for prospective Hajj pilgrims.

Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Singgih Januratmoko, highlighted the preparedness of catering services for Hajj pilgrims amid this inflationary pressure. He expressed this while monitoring the Hajj embarkation operations at the Donohudan Hajj Hostel in Boyolali Regency, Central Java, on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.

According to Singgih, the overall process of dispatching pilgrims up to Wednesday has run smoothly. Immigration checks for prospective Hajj pilgrims from the Solo Embarkation were carried out using a fast-track scheme before their departure to the Holy Land. With this scheme, pilgrims no longer need to queue upon arrival in Madinah. “From the monitoring earlier, alhamdulillah, it has gone well. The pilgrims have completed all processes,” Singgih stated.

However, behind this smoothness, Commission VIII has given special attention to the consumption sector. Singgih mentioned that inflation in Saudi Arabia has led to price increases for nearly all necessities, including food ingredients for Hajj pilgrims. “We understand the inflation conditions in Saudi Arabia; food prices and other necessities have risen. This is what concerns us,” he said.

The House of Representatives, he added, has called in the catering providers to ensure that service quality does not decline. In the latest evaluation, the catering providers were even asked to guarantee service improvements compared to the previous year. “We directly called the catering providers; we checked down to the details. They promised that this year’s services would be better,” Singgih said.

In addition to food quality, the House of Representatives also highlighted catering distribution. He acknowledged that previously, some kitchens were quite far from the pilgrims’ hotels, which could potentially affect food quality upon receipt. “Some are a bit far, but we requested that they be brought closer to the hotels. That has been followed up,” he said.

Singgih added that from the latest monitoring results, no critical points were found in the consumption services. However, the House of Representatives still provides notes as a precautionary step, given the high sensitivity of these services to pilgrims.

On the other hand, he emphasised the importance of pilgrims’ role in maintaining physical condition, including through proper eating habits. He reminded pilgrims, especially the elderly, not to neglect food intake while performing the pilgrimage. “Sometimes elderly pilgrims do not want to eat. This must be addressed, because physical condition is very determining, especially during the wuquf at Arafah,” he said.

Health checks for pilgrims have also been conducted more strictly this year. Although it has drawn complaints for taking longer, this step is a response to input from Saudi authorities. “There are indeed complaints about the length of the checks, but this is to ensure that pilgrims are truly ready health-wise,” he said.

Commission VIII of the House of Representatives hopes that various improvements, especially in catering services, can address issues that arose in the previous year’s Hajj organisation. “We hope everything runs smoothly, and the quality of services, including consumption, can be better,” Singgih said.