MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – The central board of Muhammadiyah (PP Muhammadiyah) expressed its support for the Indonesian government’s plan to establish an Indonesian Hajj Village in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The plan was announced by President Prabowo Subianto during a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (30/10). The project aims to provide improved facilities and accommodations for Indonesian pilgrims during the Hajj season.
The Indonesian Hajj Village is set to be built in the Jabal Hindawiyah area of Mecca, covering 80 hectares of land. Indonesia will become the first country granted permission by the Saudi Arabian government to establish such a facility in Mecca.
Muhammadiyah Central Board Chairperson, Kiai Saad Ibrahim, praised the initiative, saying it would bring significant benefits to Indonesian pilgrims—particularly by helping reduce the overall cost of Hajj.
“After addressing the spatial aspect, perhaps we also need to think about the temporal aspect,” Saad said in an interview with TVMU on Thursday (30/10). “Many pilgrims stay in Saudi Arabia for about forty days, but the essential rituals can actually be completed in around ten days.”
According to him, the length of stay for Indonesian pilgrims is often extended due to logistical factors including limited flight availability and the restricted capacity of Saudi airports to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims.
“The issue of space has been addressed through this plan, but time remains a challenge, mainly because of flight quotas and airport congestion in Jeddah and Madinah,” he explained.
Saad suggested that the Indonesian government explore alternative flight routes beyond Jeddah and Madinah to optimize the travel schedule. If possible, he added, Indonesia could even consider transit options through nearby countries to ease travel congestion.
The establishment of the Indonesian Hajj Village is expected to streamline logistical processes, enhance the comfort of pilgrims, and strengthen Indonesia’s presence in Saudi Arabia as one of the world’s largest Hajj-participating nations. (Bintang Adrian)
