Jakarta. The Saudi government has allowed Muslim-majority Indonesia to send 221,00 Hajj pilgrims next year, according to Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

The quota is the same as what Indonesia had initially gotten for the 2024 Hajj season. However, Saudi Arabia gave Indonesia an additional quota of 20,000 pilgrims so that the country could send a total of 241,000 pilgrims this year. This is the largest Hajj quota Indonesia has ever received. 

Yaqut thanked the Saudi government for its early announcement on the hajj quota as it would enable Indonesia to make the necessary preparations as soon as possible. 

The minister claimed that the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage had been running smoothly. About 213,320 out of the 241,000 Indonesian pilgrims are traveling using the government's services. Only 45 of them could not go to Saudi Arabia for various reasons, and the visa process is now closed. 

“The number of people who fail to depart for Hajj is the smallest in more than 10 years of Hajj management,” Yaqut said in Mecca on Wednesday, as reported by state news agency Antara.

The pilgrims also have access to catering services, transportation, and accommodation. They also have guides to help them when in Mecca and Medina.

 Yaqut added: “Indonesia is the country that sends the most Hajj pilgrims, and this is no easy task. We held fast-track services for the first time in Jakarta, Solo, and Surabaya, and they were a success.”