Jakarta. Indonesia’s Hajj Organizing Agency (BP Haji) will be upgraded to a full ministry under a directive from President Prabowo Subianto, an official announced on Thursday.

Indonesia sends the world’s largest contingent of hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia each year, with the most recent figure surpassing 220,000 pilgrims. The pilgrimage is currently managed by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

However, according to Ichsan Marsha, a senior advisor at BP Haji, President Prabowo plans to establish a standalone Hajj Ministry ahead of the next hajj season.

“Mr. President will elevate BP Haji to a ministry, granting it full authority to manage Indonesia’s hajj pilgrimage starting next year,” Ichsan told Beritasatu TV. “This has been a long-held aspiration of his, even before taking office.”

Ichsan added that the Justice Ministry is currently drafting new regulations that will provide the legal framework for the creation of the Hajj Ministry.

“We are fully prepared to assume full responsibility as the sole organizer of the hajj pilgrimage in Indonesia, God willing,” he said.

Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, has a waiting list of approximately 5.4 million registered pilgrims, a number that grows annually, government data shows. With an average Hajj quota of around 200,000 pilgrims per year, the current waiting time for prospective pilgrims spans at least 25 years.