Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Indonesia will be the first foreign country to build a complex dedicated to its Hajj pilgrims in Mecca, describing it as an extraordinary gesture of respect from Saudi Arabia.
“For the first time in history, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed a foreign nation to own land in the holy city of Mecca. Ladies and gentlemen, it should be noted that they revised their law solely out of respect toward the Indonesian nation,” he said.
President Prabowo made the statement before more than 100,000 people gathered at the centenary celebration of Nahdlatul Ulama, one of Indonesia’s most prominent Islamic organizations, in Malang, East Java, on Sunday.
He explained that the acquired land will be used to develop a village designed to accommodate Indonesians performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, a move he said has already inspired other nations.
“Our plans have encouraged other countries to follow suit. God willing, the Indonesian Hajj Village will be the first to emerge,” he affirmed.
Elaborating further, Prabowo noted that the government aims to erect the complex within three years, with approximately 1,000 rooms planned for the initial stage.
The president went on to stress his commitment to providing Indonesian pilgrims with the finest accommodation and services, while also reducing costs to enable more Muslims to join the Hajj pilgrimage.
“I can guarantee adequate, decent accommodation and the best services for all, hence, there is nothing more to worry about. I am also determined to lower Hajj costs for the Indonesian people,” Prabowo remarked.
Earlier, Minister of the State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi confirmed the government's success in acquiring a hotel and land in Mecca for the Hajj village development.
“Our goal is to make it as affordable as possible, because in the end, we want to reduce the cost of Hajj for our pilgrims using various approaches,” he remarked in Bogor, West Java, on January 6, outlining the primary objective of the planned village.
In detail, Indonesia, through its sovereign wealth manager Danantara, has purchased the Novotel Thakher Makkah hotel along with approximately five hectares of land in the holy city.
According to Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani, the hotel can currently accommodate nearly 4,500 pilgrims in 1,461 rooms across three towers. The Indonesian government plans to add 13 more towers, expanding the total capacity to 6,025 rooms.
