Revealed: Dadan Hindayana Waited 12 Years for Hajj Pilgrimage, Registered Since 2014

The Hajj pilgrimage undertaken by Dadan Hindayana this year has revealed a long story that has only recently become known to the public. The former Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) disclosed that he had to wait for 12 years before finally receiving the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land with his wife.

This story gained prominence after Dadan returned from Saudi Arabia and was subsequently dismissed from his position by President Prabowo Subianto. Amidst public attention regarding the change in BGN leadership and his legal situation, the story of his long wait for the pilgrimage has drawn particular interest.

Images of Dadan performing the Hajj pilgrimage circulated widely on social media. In a post shared by the Instagram account @respons.media, he was seen wearing white clothing, smiling amidst the atmosphere of worship in the Holy Land. However, behind those photos lies a long journey that began more than a decade ago.

Dadan revealed that he and his wife had registered for the Hajj pilgrimage in 2014. Like millions of other Indonesian prospective pilgrims, they had to endure a long waiting list before finally being granted the opportunity to depart. The wait only ended in 2026 when their names were called to perform the fifth pillar of Islam.

“The two of us have been registered since 5 May 2014, so we waited 12 years and were finally called exactly this year,” said Dadan at King Abdul Aziz Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as reported by VIVA on Thursday, 4 June 2026.

Despite undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage, Dadan still made time to attend to several agendas related to his former area of responsibility. One such instance was a visit to the Indonesian School in Jeddah. During the visit, he discussed the possibility of implementing the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme for Indonesian children living abroad.

According to Dadan, the proposal had been submitted to President Prabowo for further study. However, the plan ultimately failed to materialise following his removal from office and his designation as a suspect.