Saudi Arabia Proposes Early Hotel Return for Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Saudi Arabia has proposed a new accommodation arrangement for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims that could help reduce overcrowding in Mina, one of the most congested locations during the annual pilgrimage.

The proposal was presented by Saudi Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat during a visit to the Indonesian Hajj Mission Office in Makkah on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

Under the plan, up to 50 percent of Indonesian pilgrims could return to their hotels in Makkah earlier after completing the mandatory Hajj rituals, rather than staying overnight in Mina. The scheme, known as tanazul, is intended to ease pressure on the limited space available in Mina.

Indonesian Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Naib Amirulhaj Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, who received the Saudi delegation, said both countries recognize the challenges posed by Mina's restricted capacity.

"Mina is very limited, covering only around a dozen hectares. The Saudi side conveyed that if up to 50 percent of pilgrims could be included in the tanazul scheme, they would consider providing guarantees regarding facilities in Mina," Deputy Minister Dahnil said, as quoted by Antara.

As part of the proposal, Saudi authorities offered assurances regarding services and facilities in Mina if Indonesia decides to relocate a portion of its pilgrims back to their hotels in Makkah after completing the required rituals.

Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said it would immediately assess the technical and operational implications of the proposal.

"Going forward, we will work together with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to prepare the scheme from the outset," he said, emphasizing that the arrangement would not affect the validity of pilgrims' Hajj obligations.

Tanazul is an accommodation and movement management system under which pilgrims do not spend the night in Mina's tents and instead return to their hotels.

During the meeting, Saudi officials also expressed appreciation for Indonesia's ongoing Hajj management reforms initiated under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

He noted that Saudi Arabia understands the challenges faced by Indonesia as the country sending the largest number of Hajj pilgrims in the world.

Indonesia has also committed to strengthening the implementation of istitha'ah, or health eligibility requirements, before departure in an effort to reduce pilgrim mortality rates. The government is also preparing reforms to improve transparency in Hajj financial management. ***