By God's will, we will get the full quota based on what we heard from Saudi ArabiaJakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation of the Religious Affairs Ministry estimates that Indonesia will receive full Hajj quota for the 1444 Hijriah/2022 AD pilgrimage.
"By God's will, we will get the full quota based on what we heard from Saudi Arabia," Director General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation, Hilman Latief, noted in a written statement , Wednesday.
Latief made the statement while closing the 2022 Indonesian Hajj Mudzakarah at the Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Islamic Boarding School, Situbondo.
However, he could not as yet confirm how much quota Saudi Arabia had given to Indonesia since the Saudi Arabian authorities had yet to state the exact figure.
"They have not mentioned the exact numbers," he added.
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Latief stated that the Ministry of Religious Affairs had held an initial meeting with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. In fact, the meeting with Indonesia was prioritized to help the country make early preparations.
"Indonesia has the largest number of pilgrims in the world, so management must be prepared earlier," he remarked.
On January 9, 2023, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding Hajj implementation was planned to be signed by the Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry and the Hajj and Umrah Ministry of the Saudi Arabia. At the same time, all service contracts will be inked, including accommodation, transportation, consumption, and Masya'ir.
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"God willing, in January and February, we have to move fast for the repayment," Latief remarked.
Moreover, the Religious Affairs Ministry will recruit Hajj supervisors earlier in January 2023 in a bid to directly collaborate with prospective pilgrims, who would depart to provide guidance on Hajj rituals.
"Recruitment of worship supervisors will be carried out earlier. We hoped that those who are selected can immediately collaborate with the pilgrims to provide guidance on rituals," the ministry's director general of Hajj Counseling, Arsad Hidayat, remarked.
Hidayat noted that the guidance was oriented towards helping pilgrims become independent during Hajj.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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