Today, His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, began his official visit to the Republic of Indonesia, during which he met with a number of senior officials in various fields, with the aim of discussing ways to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in several aspects, as an extension of the historical relations between the two countries.
In his first meeting, His Excellency stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes all Indonesian Umrah pilgrims without health conditions or age restrictions, pointing out that the “Nisk” platform and the electronic services it provides have contributed significantly and effectively to increasing the number of Umrah pilgrims coming to Mecca and Medina, in light of Unlimited support from wise leadership.
At the beginning of his visit, Dr. Al-Rabiah met with His Excellency the Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Yaqut Khalil Qumas, and the two sides discussed the strategic partnership between the two countries, and the procedural facilities for the arrival of Indonesian pilgrims within the framework of achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programs, in a way that enriches the religious and cultural experience of the guests of God, and achieves the purposes of Islamic law. , especially after the automation of Umrah services to facilitate the arrival of pilgrims to Mecca and Medina.
He pointed to the depth of Saudi-Indonesian relations, noting that this motivates both sides to increase digital solutions under the umbrella of the Guests of God Service Program - one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programs - to provide solutions and options for Umrah and visit visas electronically through the “Nask” platform, and to extend the duration of the Umrah visa from One to three months for Umrah pilgrims from all over the world, canceling the mahram requirement for Umrah women, and other facilities.
The visit also witnessed an extensive meeting with His Eminence the CEO of the Nahdlatul Ulama Society in the Republic of Indonesia, Sheikh Yahya Khalil Staqov, and he discussed a number of topics related to the tolerance of Islam and its flexibility with regard to achieving the purposes of Islamic law, and the advanced services provided by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to visitors and pilgrims of the Two Holy Mosques and the Holy Sites. Free of charge, to ensure ease and convenience for Muslims in performing their worship.
The Minister of Hajj and Umrah discussed a number of topics of common interest in the areas of Islamic work with the Indonesian side, especially with regard to facilitating the arrival of pilgrims through digital platform services, and discussing ways of cooperation between the Ministry and the responsible authorities in the Republic of Indonesia. The two sides discussed the pioneering experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in managing crowds and reducing crowds. The crowding affected with great support and attention from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect them - to preserve the health and safety of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims from all over the world.
During the meetings, the efforts made by more than 30 government agencies in the Kingdom within the Hajj and Umrah system were reviewed, to accelerate the pace of work in order to enhance ways of strategic bilateral cooperation between the two sides, and to increase the quality of services provided to pilgrims coming from Indonesia. The meetings also witnessed discussion of increasing the effectiveness of the joint committees in aspects Several between the two countries.