Jakarta. Indonesia will likely know the fate of its Hajj village project next month, as the Southeast Asian country has to go up against 90 bidders, according to the sovereign wealth fund Danantara.

Indonesia is currently taking part in a bidding process to secure its sought-after land lot close to Islam’s holiest mosque, the Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca. The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation wants to build a so-called Hajj village, an area designed to accommodate the countless Indonesian pilgrims. Starting next year, Saudi Arabia will allow foreign real estate ownership, although lands in Mecca are subject to more stringent requirements. 

President Prabowo Subianto has put Danantara in charge of turning this Hajj village dream into reality. The fund’s chief investment officer Pandu Sjahrir told reporters that Indonesia submitted its bid proposal for a land lot that spans approximately 80 hectares.

“But we will know the results in mid-December. There are around 90 bidders that are aiming for the same land lot as us,” Pandu told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia is negotiating business-to-business deals outside the tender, as Jakarta also wants the village to include hotels, restaurants, and healthcare facilities. Pandu also signaled that the village would open its doors for non-Indonesians, particularly the foreigners who wish to learn more about the country’s culture. 

“This is one way to show Indonesia to the world,” he said. 

Danantara’s chief executive officer Rosan Roeslani had previously flown to Mecca to meet local authorities and check out the available land lots in person. However, winning the bid has nothing to do with whether Jakarta can offer a better price than its competitors.

“We have to submit a bid [that includes] the master plan and drawing, everything. … The pricing is fixed, so you don’t bid on the pricing here. … What differs [one bidder from another] is the planning,” Rosan told a Hajj Fund forum last month.

The land’s location is between 1.5 to 2.2 kilometers away from the Great Mosque of Mecca. Rosan claimed that Indonesia already had a “backup plan” ready if they failed to win the bid.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to let Indonesia send 221,000 Hajj pilgrims next year. The 2026 quota remains unchanged compared to the previous year. All Muslims who are financially and physically able must perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Hajj usually takes place at a certain time of the year. 

Islam also has what it calls Umrah, a minor pilgrimage that Muslims can undertake at any time. Almost 1.5 million Indonesians went on Umrah in 2024.