To provide better facilities for the pilgrims, Prabowo has also asked the Saudi government to establish a special “village” in Mecca for Indonesians, which he claims has received a positive response from Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. The President said that Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar was currently working on details of the proposal and would soon travel to Saudi Arabia to finalize the deal.

The intention may look genuine. But is Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest Muslim-majority countries, entitled to such an exclusive facility in Saudi Arabia? More importantly, will the village improve services for the pilgrims and be accessible to every able-bodied Indonesian Muslim who performs the pilgrimage?

Instead of looking to the Saudis for more sweeteners, the government must sort out all the recurring domestic problems that have marred the organization of the haj in the past, including the long waiting list that many pilgrims must endure and the need for extra care of elderly pilgrims.

Prabowo, who performed the pilgrimage in 1991, has promised that his administration will give the best service to pilgrims and seek to lower the haj cost even further next year, after reducing this year’s cost by around Rp 4 million (US$240) per person.

The Prabowo administration has also established the long-awaited Haj Organizing Agency (BP Haji), which will take over the haj management from the Religious Affairs Ministry as early as next year. The formation of the agency is mandated by Law No. 8/2019 on the haj pilgrimage.

Despite decades of experience in haj management, the country has been widely criticized for poor administration, which ranges from insufficient lodgings for the pilgrims to embezzlement of haj funds.

Last year, for instance, pilgrims complained about flight delays, government-organized temporary tents in Mina and Arafah, which were either double-booked, overcrowded or had broken air conditioning, and incidents of food poisoning, prompting the House of Representatives to look into the issue.

Health concerns also confronted the pilgrims, who made the journey under a scorching summer sun. More than 700 pilgrims from across the world died during last year’s pilgrimage.

For the 2025 haj season, the Saudi government has set the quota for Indonesia at 221,000 pilgrims. Most of the seats went to pilgrims registering through the most affordable regular haj plan, which is subsidized by the government and is notorious for its long waiting period. The rest of the quota is allocated for special and exclusive plans with a shorter waiting period and access to additional facilities in exchange for a higher price tag.

The sense of desperation that has developed with the organization has prompted some people to attempt the haj without the correct visa. Last week, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 30 Indonesians at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah for entering the country to go on haj without the appropriate visa.

As pilgrims from various regions across Indonesia are arriving in batches in Jeddah or Medina throughout the month, people at home continue to wait for their turn to make the journey, aging as the decades pass.

The pilgrimage is mandatory at least once in their lifetime for all Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the religious journey. If the quota and waiting list system is efficiently and transparently implemented and would-be pilgrims are given equal opportunity to fulfill their religious duty, it should be enough.

The government must learn to treat access to a safe and spiritually enriching haj experience as a basic right for all Indonesian Muslims.