August 25, 2025 | 05:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Saudi Arabian government has issued a strong warning to Indonesia regarding the organization of the 2025 hajj pilgrimage. The warning was conveyed through a diplomatic note sent via the Saudi Arabian Ambassador on June 16, 2025, addressing the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Director General of Hajj and Umrah, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar revealed dissatisfaction from Saudi Arabia, which was evident when President Prabowo Subianto met with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), on July 2, 2025, in Jeddah. According to Nasaruddin, the initial atmosphere of the meeting felt tense as MBS appeared annoyed.
There are several reasons why the Saudi government issued a strong warning to Indonesia. Deputy Head of the Hajj Organizing Committee, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, disclosed that it was due to the poor implementation of the 2025 hajj pilgrimage.
Dahnil stated that Saudi Arabia emphasized the importance of transparent pilgrim health data. Official data showed that 14 percent of pilgrims who died during the 2025 pilgrimage season were from Indonesia. "Why did you send pilgrims who were already close to death, and why has this become a problem for us domestically?" Dahnil imitated the Saudi government's complaint during a press conference at the Hajj Organizing Agency on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, which was broadcast on social media.
Not only that, the Saudi government also raised concerns about the multi-shareholder system used this year. Dahnil stated that many companies involved actually created unhealthy competition, leading to chaos in accommodation, consumption, and transportation. Some pilgrims even had to walk from their hotel to Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina due to transportation delays.
In the future, the Hajj Organizing Committee also confirmed that they will no longer use the multi-shareholder system. The number of shareholders will be limited to a maximum of two companies to provide more focused and controlled services.
Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief, added that the payment scheme through Adahi, the official slaughtering institution in Saudi Arabia, also had issues.
As a result of these various issues, the Saudi government threatened to reduce Indonesia's hajj quota. However, Saudi Arabia eventually canceled the plan. According to Dahnil, this was because the Indonesian government committed to making improvements, including establishing a special agency equivalent to a ministry that will manage the pilgrimage starting next year.
"Because next year the hajj management will no longer be under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the president will establish an agency equivalent to a ministry, the Saudi government expressed hope with the new management," said the Gerindra Party politician.
Dede Leni Mardianti, Ervana Trikarinaputri, and Dian Rahma Fika contributed to the writing of this article
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