TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Head of the Hajj Management Agency (BPH), Dahnil Azhar Simanjuntak, stated that President Prabowo Subianto has prepared several schemes to realize the Indonesian hajj village development in Mecca. He said that, so far, the High Coordination Council formed by the Indonesian and Saudi Arabian governments is considering three options.
The first scheme, he explained, the government will build the hajj village from scratch using investment funds from Indonesia's Danantara Investment Management Agency. "Building from the ground up entails risks and requires a substantial investment," said Dahnil during a discussion forum at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
The second option is for the government to acquire existing hotels with specific criteria. One requirement is that the hotel being converted into the hajj village must be able to accommodate at least 50,000 people. "For example, we would acquire a hotel and later transform it into a hajj village," said Dahnil.
If these two schemes are not feasible, Dahnil mentioned that the government will rent hotels in Saudi Arabia under long-term lease contracts. "There is still no decision on which option we will choose, although the President certainly tends to favor the construction of the hajj village from the beginning and to expedite the process."
For a long time, Prabowo has expressed his desire to build an Indonesian Hajj Village in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. By having its facilities, the head of state aims to provide easier access and services for pilgrims, especially the elderly. This plan subsequently received a positive signal from Prince Mohammed bin Salman after a meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Most recently, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, the Minister of Investment and Head of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board, Rosan Roeslani, stated that the Crown Prince, who is also the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, has agreed that the hajj village accommodating Indonesian pilgrims will be located 400 meters from the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
However, the Minister, who is also the Head of Danantara, did not provide details regarding the location. "The Crown Prince has approved the request from President Prabowo," said Rosan during a press briefing in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, as monitored on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.
Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the writing of this article
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