This is important, so that the long queue of Hajj can be shortened
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs will urge the government of Saudi Arabia to increase the Hajj quota for Indonesia at the 2023 Hajj conference in early 2023.

"I hope our requests can be fulfilled, one of which is the addition of quota," Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas noted in a written statement received on Thursday.

The minister and his staff departed for Saudi Arabia to attend preparations for the 2023 Hajj conference held by the Government of Saudi Arabia.

The Hajj conference will discuss Hajj preparations, starting from the pilgrimage quota, hotels, to food or catering for Hajj pilgrims. Qoumas expressed hope that Indonesia's proposal for increasing the quota would be fulfilled.

"This is important, so that the long queue of Hajj can be shortened. Inshallah (if God wills), 100 percent (quota) has been obtained. We want more than 100 percent," he stated.

The minister noted that the conference would determine the implementation of the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage. To this end, he flew to Saudi Arabia in order to negotiate directly. This working visit also marked the start of the preparation process for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage.

"Thus, this conference will greatly determine how the pilgrimage will be held this year," Qoumas said.

After two years of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2022, Saudi Arabia allowed one million international pilgrims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Indonesia was allotted a quota of 100,051 for the pilgrimage.

Last year, the government's 2022 Hajj pilgrimage services were considered very satisfactory based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

According to BPS, the total pilgrims' satisfaction index rose by 4.54 points to 90.45 in 2022, from 85.91 during the implementation of the previous Hajj pilgrimage in 2019. The figure recorded in 2022 was the highest since 2010.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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