Saudi Arabia has informed Indonesia that the 20 percent reduction in Haj quota would continue this year too due to the Haram expansion project.

Indonesia sends the highest number of Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

Indonesian Minister for Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali, who was on a four-day visit to the Kingdom, was informed of this by Saudi Haj Minister Bandar Al-Hajar when the former called on him at his office on Tuesday. The Indonesian minister has since returned to Jakarta.

Indonesian diplomatic sources told Arab News: “Indonesia’s request for increase in Haj quota was turned down due to the expansion work. This means that about 50,000 Haj pilgrims from Indonesia will not be able to perform Haj, which puts us in a tight spot.”

Over 210,000 pilgrims from Indonesia had applied for Haj, but only 168,000 could perform Haj in 2013, and this had resulted in losses to Indonesia, the sources said.

The Indonesian minister also met with the head of Asian Haj establishment in Makkah and General Transport Syndicate to review housing and transport arrangements for pilgrims from his country during the next Haj season.

Indonesian Consul General Dharma Keerti hosted a reception for the visiting dignitary at his residence which was attended by Ahmed Mohammed Ali, chairman of Islamic Development Bank. Indonesia and IDB signed a mutual cooperation agreement on exchange of Haj expertise during the reception.



Indonesia will provide Haj pilgrim mechanism and saving schemes to the IDB, which in turn can share it with member countries. The IDB chief and the Indonesian minister exchanged views on development and maintenance of wakf properties, an IDB press release said.