Jakarta. Around 221,000 Indonesian Muslims are preparing to travel to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, but this year’s journey is overshadowed by rising costs, governance challenges, and waiting lists that can stretch for decades.

The 2026 pilgrimage season also represents the first major operational test for Indonesia’s newly established Hajj and Umrah Ministry -- whether it can modernize pilgrimage management while keeping the journey financially accessible for ordinary citizens.

Escalating aviation fuel costs, driven by tensions in the Middle East, are expected to add Rp 1.7 trillion (about $98.3 million) to Indonesia’s Hajj flight expenses. The increase places further strain on a financing system that already relies heavily on subsidies, while the government has ruled out direct support from the state budget.

In a televised interview, Hajj Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said the ministry had little time to prepare for the current season.

“The ministry was established in August last year, and I was inaugurated on September 8. Saudi Arabia began Hajj preparations in June, meaning we were already three months behind,” he said.

End of the ‘Furoda’ Fast Track
This year’s pilgrimage season is also notable for the absence of the so-called Furoda visa scheme, a special invitation-based visa that had allowed wealthier pilgrims to bypass the regular quota system and avoid years-long waiting lists.

Furoda visas could reportedly cost up to $30,000. By contrast, Indonesians joining the standard Hajj program often face waiting periods averaging 26 years.

Hajj analyst Ade Marfuddin said the program had become accessible only to the wealthy and did little to ease waiting times because it operated outside the regular quota system.

“The Furoda Hajj is not registered in the government database. If something happens to those pilgrims, it only adds to the burden on our Hajj personnel,” he said. “There is no need to pressure Saudi authorities to restore it. Indonesia should focus on improving the regular Hajj system or negotiating a larger quota.”

The scheme has also faced controversy in the past, including allegations of misuse by travel agencies and bogus Hajj visa offers. It is now linked to an ongoing corruption investigation involving former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

Bigger Quotas, Bigger Ambitions
Indonesia sent its largest-ever Hajj contingent in 2024, with 241,000 pilgrims. Analysts say future quota negotiations with Saudi Arabia will depend partly on infrastructure readiness.

One project seen as potentially strengthening Indonesia’s bargaining position is the planned Indonesian Hajj Village in Mecca -- a dedicated accommodation and service complex for Indonesian pilgrims.

State investment fund Danantara has signed a $500 million agreement to acquire the operating Novotel Makkah Thakher City hotel and nearby land parcels. It is also participating in a tender for another site near Masjid al-Haram, Islam’s holiest mosque.

Danantara Chief Investment Officer Pandu Sjahrir said Indonesian pilgrims could begin staying at the Novotel property in 2026, although regional instability may delay additional land acquisitions.

“We are waiting for updates on the land offered in the bid. There is turmoil, so their priority is security,” he said.

Who Should Pay the Extra Cost?
Under Indonesia’s 2026 Hajj financing structure, total pilgrimage costs stand at Rp 87.4 million ($5,056) per pilgrim. Individuals pay Rp 54.1 million, or 62%, while the remaining 38% is covered by investment returns managed by the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH).

The latest fuel-price increase -- equivalent to roughly Rp 7 million to Rp 8 million per pilgrim -- threatens to disrupt that model.

Talitha Chairunissa, a member of the Indonesian Economists Alliance (AEI), said the rise reflects deeper structural pressures rather than a temporary disruption.

“Given aviation fuel accounts for nearly a third of airline operating costs, this surge is unlikely to be temporary within the current fiscal cycle,” she said, warning of a “high-cost ecosystem” if geopolitical tensions continue to drive energy prices.

With the government refusing to use public funds, she said the most realistic short-term measures are maximizing BPKH investment returns and improving fuel hedging arrangements with airlines.

However, she warned that relying too heavily on pilgrimage funds could create long-term risks.

“Continuous use of investment returns to absorb shocks is not sustainable and risks intergenerational inequity,” she said.

Endrizal Ridwan of Andalas University offered a more optimistic view, saying the current spike may prove temporary if geopolitical tensions ease. Still, he said future volatility in energy markets should be anticipated.

“Fuel-related cost spikes should ideally be insured,” he said, suggesting Hajj financing could include insurance-style protections.

He also backed the government’s decision not to rely on taxpayer funds.

“Using the state budget would not be fair, as Hajj is an individual religious obligation,” he said.