Saudi Arabia Permits Indonesia Special Land Rights

RRI.CO.ID, Malang – Indonesia has become the first country in the world to be granted permission to own land in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This was announced by President Prabowo Subianto during the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) "One Century Mujahadah Kubro" event at Gajayana Stadium in Malang, East Java, on Sunday, 8 February 2026.

In a speech delivered before thousands of worshippers, President Prabowo emphasized that this land ownership is a strategic step by the government to improve services for Indonesian citizens performing pilgrimages in the Holy Land. In the future, the land will be developed into an integrated area for Indonesian pilgrims.

The President stated that Indonesia will establish a "Hajj Village" in Mecca for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. This facility is expected to resolve the accommodation issues that pilgrims frequently encounter during the Hajj season.

“We will have the right to own land in the holy city of Mecca. We will build a Hajj Village there for those performing the Hajj and Umrah. All pilgrims will be guaranteed decent housing and a comfortable place to stay, so there is no need for hesitation or worry,” Prabowo said.

According to the President, the success of this diplomacy stems from the special relationship between Indonesia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, President Prabowo stated that the Saudi Arabian government had amended their country's laws specifically to allow Indonesia to be the first nation to own land in Mecca.

This extraordinary step by the Saudi government is proof of the great respect for Indonesia's position in the eyes of the international community. The President said, “This is the first time in history that the Saudi Arabian government has allowed another nation to own land in the holy city of Mecca. Ladies and gentlemen, they changed their laws specifically to honor the Indonesian people. As a result, many other countries are now following suit.”

As for the target, the President hopes that the hajj village will be completed within the next three years. The construction process will be carried out in stages, with priority given to the availability of rooms in the near future. “We hope that within three years we will have a good hajj village. I think that in a few months we will have approximately 1,000 rooms,” he said.

In addition to ensuring accommodation, the President's visit to the NU Century event also brought good news regarding the efficiency of the pilgrimage budget. On that occasion, the President also said that he plans to reduce the cost of the hajj for the Indonesian people in order to ease the financial burden on those who wish to perform the pilgrimage.