Indonesia Moves to Strengthen Hajj Economic Ecosystem  

Jakarta: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has established the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Economic Ecosystem Development (Ditjen PE2HU) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s Hajj and Umrah sector.
 
“The Hajj serves not only as a religious pilgrimage, but also as an opportunity to generate added value for our national economy by promoting domestic products, services, and businesses,” Director General of PE2HU Jaenal Effendi said in Jakarta, as reported by Antara on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
 
The government has planned various initiatives in a bid to boost the sector’s growth, including strengthening supply chains, expanding exports of local products to Saudi Arabia, and increasing investment into supporting sectors.
 
To date, the government has facilitated the export of more than 300 tons of Indonesian spices and supplied around 3.1 million ready-to-eat meal packages for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
 
The Ministry has also secured approval from Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority (GACA) to eliminate “empty flights” – return flights from Saudi Arabia that were previously not permitted to carry Indonesian pilgrims due to strict aviation rules. The initiative has thus far accommodated 1,723 passengers.
 
Officials are also developing a digital procurement system through the Hajj Economic Platform to broaden opportunities for local businesses.
 
Through these efforts, the government aims to increase the participation of Indonesian businesses in the Hajj and Umrah value chain to 30 to 40 percent.
 
Jaenal stressed, however, that “the success of the Hajj economic ecosystem would require close coordination among sectors and stakeholders.”
 
(Jonathan Sianto)