Jakarta. State logistics agency Perum Bulog will export 2,280 tons of rice to Saudi Arabia to meet the needs of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, with the total shipment valued at Rp 150 billion (about $8.9 million).

The exports will be carried out in two phases to ensure logistical security and maintain reserve availability in case of disruptions during transit. The first shipment is scheduled to depart on Feb. 28, 2026, marking Indonesia’s inaugural national Hajj rice export. It will leave from Port of Tanjung Priok bound for Jeddah Port in Saudi Arabia.

Perum Bulog president director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani said the total approved rice supply for this year’s Hajj amounts to 2,280 tons.

“The first shipment will depart on Feb. 28 and the second on March 4,” he said after a limited coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs in Jakarta on Monday.

According to the official website of the Hajj and Umrah Ministry, the 2026 Hajj season is expected to involve 205,420 Indonesian pilgrims and officials. The pilgrimage will require approximately 3,911 tons of rice to be distributed to 75 catering kitchens in Makkah and Madinah. The first wave of Hajj pilgrims is expected to depart Indonesia on April 23.

Jaenal Effendi, director general for Hajj and Umrah Economic Ecosystem Development (PE2HU), said the export initiative aims to reduce Indonesia’s reliance on rice supplies sourced through neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.

Bulog assured that the inaugural Hajj rice export would not disrupt domestic stock levels, as supply planning and reserve preparations had been made in advance.

Shipping from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia is expected to take between five and six weeks, based on coordination with logistics providers.

The exported rice is premium grade and meets specifications requested by Saudi partners, including a maximum broken grain rate of 5 percent and moisture content below 14 percent.

The shipment is supported by cross-ministerial coordination involving the Trade Ministry, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the National Food Agency and the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs.

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