Prospective Hajj Pilgrims from Mataram Flock to Exchange Rupiah for Riyals

Prospective Hajj pilgrims (CJH) from Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), are flocking to exchange Rupiah for Riyals ahead of their departure to Mecca. The exchanges are being conducted at stalls available in the NTB Hajj Embarkation Dormitory.

“No need to go to the bank anymore; it turns out there’s a banking booth for exchanging Riyals right in the Hajj Dormitory. It’s all for needs during the stay in the Holy Land. I’m also exchanging for small denominations to keep at home as souvenirs,” said Ahmad, one of the CJH from Mataram, on Monday (27/4/2026).

Ahmad revealed that queues at the currency exchange stall in the Hajj Dormitory have been forming from morning until evening. He expressed delight at now having Riyal notes to take to the Holy Land.

“I queued from very early in the morning. I exchanged for several denominations, but the most important are the Riyal notes for buying souvenirs later,” Ahmad added.

One of the foreign currency exchange staff, Rohani, stated that they have prepared Riyal currency in complete denominations, from 5 Riyals to 500 Riyals.

“Now many pilgrims are exchanging for small denominations because they are considered more practical and easier to use for daily needs,” said Rohani, when met at the NTB Hajj Embarkation Dormitory on Jalan Lingkar, Sekarbela, Mataram City, on Monday.

Rohani explained that most prospective Hajj pilgrims from NTB are exchanging Rupiah for 5 Riyal, 10 Riyal, and 50 Riyal denominations. On average, small denomination notes are widely used by pilgrims for buying drinks, food, or making charitable donations during their stay in the Holy Land.

“Looking back at last year, the needs could reach around Rp 1 billion. This figure can be flexible depending on the number of pilgrims and on-the-ground demand,” said Rohani.

Rohani assured that the current stock of Riyals is sufficient. Based on the latest market data, the exchange rate of the Rupiah (IDR) against the Saudi Riyal (SAR) is in the range of Rp 4,250 to Rp 4,350 per 1 Riyal.

It is known that the number of Hajj pilgrims from Mataram City departing this year totals 809 people. They are divided into three batches. Batch 5 will enter the dormitory on 26 April with a total of 397 pilgrims.

Batch 10 will depart on 3 May 2026 with a total of 387 pilgrims. Then, batch 15 consists of 33 pilgrims from Mataram and will depart on 10 May 2026 at 23:40 WITA.