Praise be to God, in general, it is ready and matches with the standards. We will continue to provide the best service to Indonesian pilgrims
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has affirmed that facilities for Indonesian pilgrims during the 2022 Hajj season in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are ready and have been prepared in line with the standards.
“Praise be to God, in general, it is ready and matches with the standards. We will continue to provide the best service to Indonesian pilgrims,” Qoumas noted in a press statement, Friday.
The minister also flew to Saudi Arabia to directly monitor the service preparations for Indonesian pilgrims. He used several infrastructure facilities available at the hotel, including one of the inter-city buses that will transport the pilgrims.
The hotels reviewed by Qoumas are located in two different areas: the Al Khulafaa-3 Hotel in the Syisyah area, with a capacity for 800 pilgrims, and the Tharawat Al-Rawda Hotel in the Raudhah 1 area, with a capacity for 499 pilgrims.
“I make sure that the hotel’s capacity is adequate and the facilities are good in accordance with contract standards. I see the hotel is good,” he remarked.
The hotel’s facilities used by Qoumas, included proper lift, bathrooms, washing machines, prayer facility, dining facility, and drinking water facilities on each floor.
The minister also urged the hotel staff to always maintain cleanliness and focus on the safety and comfort of pilgrims. Moreover, the duration of the pilgrimage to stay at the hotel in Mecca is quite long, up to 25 days.
He also reviewed transportation services at the Ajyad Terminal that served the Misfalah-Jiyad route. Qoumas checked the readiness of buses at the terminal.
“I had also tried to drive one of the inter-city buses. The bus is still in a very good condition, with most of them been less than five years and looked well-maintained,” he stated.
He even urged transportation service providers to pay attention to the air conditioning to avoid overheating or heatwave in their buses.
The minister also reviewed the readiness of catering services at Al Jauhara Kitchen in the Mecca area to ensure the capacity of the kitchen, sanitation, and cooking facilities used, as well as the process of storing food ingredients.
“I remind the catering providers to adjust their meals in accordance with the Indonesian palate. They must distribute the meals right on time,” he concluded.
