RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has requested approval for an advance payment for the 1448 H/2027 Hajj pilgrimage. The request was submitted during a working meeting with House of Representatives Commission VIII in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

The advance payment aims to secure tent locations and Armuzna services in Saudi Arabia. Indonesia seeks to complete the payment before the Saudi deadline.

The proposal was presented by Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf. The ministry said the move follows new and stricter regulations introduced by the Saudi government.

The Ministry spokesperson, Maria Assegaff, explained the urgency behind the request. She said Saudi Arabia has opened fund transfers through the Nusuk Masar system starting July 15.

"The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has submitted the advance payment proposal to the House of Representatives today as part of preparations for the 1448 H/2027 Hajj pilgrimage," she said.

Maria said Indonesia could lose its previous tent locations without immediate payment. She added the deadline set by Saudi Arabia leaves little room for delay.

"This year's deadline from Saudi Arabia is extremely urgent and cannot be postponed. If we do not pay immediately, we could lose the tent locations in Arafah and Mina that we used last year. Therefore, for the comfort of our pilgrims, we must move quickly to secure our position," she said.

The ministry proposed an advance payment of SAR858.74 million, equivalent to about Rp4 trillion. The estimate uses an exchange rate of Rp4,666.67 per Saudi riyal.

Maria also said Saudi Arabia has upgraded service standards for the 2027 pilgrimage. Although costs are expected to increase, she said Indonesian pilgrims will receive significantly better facilities.