SEAToday.com, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto plans to establish a special settlement for Indonesian pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia. This is intended to centralize all religious activities in the Holy Land in one location.

This statement was conveyed by the newly appointed Head of the Hajj Management Agency, Irfan Yusuf, who President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

"He hopes that in the future, Indonesia will have its own Hajj village, an Indonesian settlement in the Holy Land, so that all activities of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims can be localized in one place there," Irfan said in a press briefing, as reported by ANTARA.

Irfan mentioned that the formation of this special Hajj management body is due to President Prabowo's many aspirations regarding the organization of Hajj. In addition to ensuring that Indonesian pilgrims can depart safely and comfortably, the President also desires the localization of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in the Holy Land.

According to Irfan, the Hajj Management Agency is still coordinating with the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Management at the Ministry of Religious Affairs until the Hajj season 2025. The President expects the Hajj Management Agency to operate independently by the following year.

"In 2025, we will still collaborate with the Directorate of Hajj. By 2026, God willing, we will be independent," he said.

Moch Irfan Yusuf was appointed Head of the Hajj Management Agency based on Presidential Decree No. 144/P of 2024 concerning the Appointment of the Head and Deputy Head of the Hajj Management Agency. Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, the deputy head of the Hajj Management Agency, accompanies Irfan Yusuf.