Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto is planning a visit to Saudi Arabia later this month to lobby for an increased Hajj quota for Indonesian pilgrims, a senior lawmaker revealed on Tuesday.

Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, faces a daunting waiting list of approximately 5.4 million registered pilgrims, a number that grows annually. With an average Hajj quota of around 200,000 pilgrims per year, prospective pilgrims often wait at least 25 years to perform the sacred journey.

“The president informed me that he will visit Saudi Arabia in late January and hopes to meet with the King to discuss the possibility of increasing Indonesia’s Hajj quota,” said Marwan Dasopang, a member of the House of Representatives, following a meeting with Prabowo at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The lengthy waiting list has raised concerns among many elderly Indonesian Muslims, some of whom fear they may not live long enough to perform the pilgrimage.

This year, Indonesia’s Hajj quota stands at 221,000 pilgrims. However, Marwan emphasized the urgent need for an expanded quota, particularly to accommodate elderly pilgrims.

“Many elderly pilgrims must be prioritized, or their chances to fulfill the Hajj pilgrimage will diminish,” he said.

Marwan expressed optimism that Prabowo’s upcoming negotiations with Saudi authorities will yield results, saying that an additional 10,000 spots would be greatly appreciated.

Lawmakers are also exploring alternative ways to increase the number of Indonesian pilgrims. One possibility is utilizing unused quotas allocated to other countries.

“We are looking into the feasibility of accessing surplus quotas from other countries that haven’t fully utilized their allocations,” Marwan said.

Since taking office in October, President Prabowo has shown a strong commitment to addressing challenges surrounding the Hajj pilgrimage. Recently, he instructed a significant reduction in pilgrimage costs, leading the Religious Affairs Ministry to revise the fee to Rp 89.7 million ($5,537) per person, down from the initial proposal of Rp 93.4 million.

Under the revised plan, each pilgrim will pay approximately Rp 55.5 million ($3,426), with the government subsidizing the remaining Rp 34.07 million ($2,103).