Saudi Arabia’s Mecca – Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas met with Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah on Monday in Mina, Saudi Arabia, to discuss preliminary preparations for the 2023 Hajj trip.
“We have agreed to fix what is still needed and continue to improve things that are currently good,” Qoumas said on Tuesday, according to the Hajj Media Center here.
Both ministers agreed at the meeting to continue to improve services for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims.
Minister Qoumas also congratulated the Saudi government on the successful implementation of the 2022 Hajj.
“I convey my heartfelt gratitude to the Saudi government for its cooperation and services to Indonesian Hajj pilgrims,” he said.
Minister Qoumas was accompanied by Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organization Hilman Latief, Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz, Naib Amirul Hajj Muhammad Hilal Al Aidid, Secretary of Amirul Hajj Ali Bahar, and Consul for Hajj at the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah Nasrullah Jasam during his meeting with the Saudi minister.
Qoumas also stated that the Saudi government will begin offering Umrah pilgrim services on July 14, 2022.
Following two years of limitations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Saudi Arabia permitted one million international pilgrims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year. Indonesia was given a pilgrimage allotment of 100,051.
Although it allowed international pilgrims to undertake Hajj this year, Saudi Arabia imposed two conditions: the maximum permissible age was 65 years, and they had to take the full dose of any COVID-19 vaccination certified by the Saudi Health Ministry.
The second condition required pilgrims going from outside the country to carry a certificate proving a negative PCR result obtained no more than 72 hours before departure.
Source: Antara