Director General of Hajj and Umrah Economic Ecosystem Development at the ministry, Jaenal Effendi, said that many souvenirs sold in Saudi Arabia, such as prayer beads and prayer rugs, are actually produced in Indonesia.
Therefore, the ministry aims to cut the supply chain so pilgrims can purchase products directly from local producers without buying them in the Holy Land.
"We are developing a platform for Hajj souvenir. So that before they arrive at home, their souvenirs will arrive first. We do not need to invest or spend a lot of money abroad, but the products are purchased in Indonesia," he said at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory that located in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He cited some potential products, such as dates from North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which are said to have the seventh-highest nutritional quality in the world. Similarly, many prayer beads sold in Mecca’s markets come from Jepara, while chocolate products originate from Garut.
"The prayer beads in Saudi Arabia apparently come from Jepara. Chocolate from Garut also has potential. That is our task to identify and map out products that can be made into souvenirs," he said.
According to him, the ministry also plans to hold a "Hajj Souvenir MSME Expo", which is divided into three zones—eastern, central, and western Indonesia—, that aims to curate products suitable for sale to Hajj pilgrims.
With this scheme, he said, pilgrims do not need to carry heavy loads from Saudi Arabia and can simply place orders via the application, with items delivered directly to their homes. He is optimistic that this scheme will be popular.
Based on available data, the average pilgrim purchases up to 20 kilograms of souvenirs. If this spending potential is diverted to local MSMEs, it would generate positive economic impact for production centers in Indonesia.
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Translator: Citro Atmoko, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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