JAKARTA: There is a huge demand from Indonesians to perform Hajj, since they form the largest Muslim population in the world, but to be able to go on one is not an easy matter. Most of those who want to go have to endure tedious years of waiting, and much also depends on where they live.
Residents in Bantaeng, a regency in Southeast Sulawesi, have to wait the longest — until 2050. Western Southeast Maluku regency has the shortest wait, with 57 people on the list to depart in 2020.
But some have been lucky enough to be able to go this year. Slamet Widodo, 54, a school principal from Semarang, Central Java, departed for Hajj on August 16 after he was selected as a member of the Semarang pilgrims’ regional observers’ team.
“I had to participate in a selection process from May to June, until it was confirmed that I was selected and would be able to go on Hajj,” he told Arab News.
Widodo applied as an observer last year and had already passed the selection process, but his place on the team was canceled at the last minute. “Maybe it was God’s way of showing that it was not yet my time to go on Hajj,” he said, and he found it a blessing in disguise because his school was selected to receive a government grant, and as the headmaster, he had to sign the agreement. “It happened during the Hajj season. If I had gone, my school would not have received the grant.”
Taufan Erikson Sjukri also found a blessing in the disguise of his delayed departure in 2015. Along with his siblings and sister-in-law, he registered to go on Hajj in 2012. He was told that he was on a three-year waiting list, and when the Hajj quota for Indonesia was reduced by 20 percent in 2013 from 211,000 to 168,800 because of renovations at the holy sites, he had to wait even longer.
Taufan found out that he was cleared to go this year; he also found that his older brother and sister-in-law, as well as an older sister, were all scheduled to go by the end of August.
“Maybe it was our luck to get postponed so that we could go together now. If it had been on schedule, we would have gone on Hajj separately,” Taufan told Arab News.
In January, President Joko Widodo announced that the government of Saudi Arabia has reinstated the quota back to normal for this year’s Hajj season.
“In addition to reinstating the quota back to 211,000, the government of Saudi Arabia has agreed to Indonesia’s request for additional quota and decided to add another 10,000. Therefore, the Hajj quota for Indonesia in 2017 increased from 168,800 to 221,000. That means Indonesia had a quota increase of 52,200,” the president said when he announced the news at the presidential palace on Jan. 11.
Despite the good news, it did not deter people from looking for shortcuts to go on Hajj sooner than if they were to wait by registering through the government.
On August 9, immigration officials at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar, Southeast Sulawesi, stopped a group of 40 individuals aiming to go on Hajj using pilgrimage visas as they were embarking to Singapore but bound for Makkah.
“After questioning each one of them, it was confirmed that they were going to Saudi Arabia, but taking the unusual route via Singapore and Colombo, from where they would blend in as if they had departed for Makkah as part of the pilgrim group from Colombo,” immigration office spokesman Agung Sampurno told Arab News.
Sampurno said they were victims of a bogus travel agent who offered them an alternative way to reach Saudi Arabia so they could perform Hajj without having to queue in for decades in the country.
“We were suspicious because we know the Kingdom doesn’t issue any other type of visa except for the Hajj visa during the Hajj season. This is a common modus people would take during this season,” Sampurno said, and the government has established that there are at least 9,000 Indonesians who reached Saudi Arabia using similar means and will be deported after Eid.
Sampurno said the case was similar to last year when 177 Indonesians were detained by Philippines authorities for posing as Filipinos and using fake Philippine passports to go on Hajj using the Philippines’ unused quota.
“Except that this time they don’t use fake passports, they just tried to blend in as if they were part of the Colombo delegation,” Sampurno said.
Increased Hajj quota comes as relief for Indonesians despite mammoth waiting list
Increased Hajj quota comes as relief for Indonesians despite mammoth waiting list
Saudi crown prince, Greek PM discuss Iran-Israel tensions in phone call
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone on Sunday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the escalating situation between Israel and Iran, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two leaders reviewed the latest developments in the region, with particular focus on the repercussions of Israeli military operations targeting Iran.
They stressed the need for restraint and de-escalation, and underlined the importance of resolving disputes through diplomatic means, SPA added.
The phone call comes amid heightened tensions following a series of tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries.
The latest flare-up has raised fears of a broader regional conflict, with international leaders urging all parties to avoid further escalation.
Saudi foundation displays projects at Dutch ‘GreenTech’ exhibition
- Morooj highlighted its technical and operational capabilities, as well as its innovative environmental solutions based on best practices and global standards
RIYADH: The Vegetation Cover Development Foundation, known as Morooj, presented its flagship projects as part of the Saudi delegation at Greentech Amsterdam, an international exhibition for horticulture held from June 10-12 in the Dutch capital.
Morooj highlighted its technical and operational capabilities, as well as its innovative environmental solutions based on best practices and global standards.
The foundation also presented examples of its strategic partnerships with various government and private sectors, as well as with international organizations.
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The foundation’s CEO, Wael Bushah, said that its participation in GreenTech further demonstrates the Kingdom’s efforts to reinforce its leadership in the environmental sector on an international level.
The projects displayed included the planting of millions of mangrove trees, greening mosque areas, promoting community participation in environmental sanitation campaigns, and efforts to rehabilitate natural reserves in various regions of the Kingdom, all of which fall under the Saudi Green Initiative.
The foundation’s CEO, Wael Bushah, said that its participation in GreenTech further demonstrates the Kingdom’s efforts to reinforce its leadership in the environmental sector on an international level.
The exhibition, one of the world’s leading events focused on environmental innovations and sustainable agricultural technologies, is also an opportunity to build new partnerships and exchange expertise on the latest innovations in sustainable agriculture, afforestation, and ecosystem restoration.
Ultimately, Murooj aims to become an interactive platform for knowledge transfer and application, creating meaningful environmental and social impact in the Kingdom.
The foundation’s role of strengthening its international presence and exchanging successful experiences with various global environmental entities and organizations has been crucial to achieving the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, founded under Saudi Vision 2030.
SGI, which celebrated its second anniversary earlier this year, has reinforced the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a key contributor to global efforts to combat climate change and enhance environmental sustainability by promoting renewable energy, protecting terrestrial and marine areas, and reaching net-zero domestically by 2060, among other initiatives.
Saudi Arabia displays biotech vision at US convention
- The center will give presentations on biotechnology and health research, the Saudi Biobank, and the sector’s role in Vision 2030
RIYADH: The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, and King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences will join the Saudi pavilion at the BIO International Convention in Boston, US, from June 16 to 19.
This will be the first joint national representation of Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology sector at the event, aligning with Vision 2030 and the National Biotechnology Strategy.
The King Abdullah center will display national initiatives and host meetings with global biotech companies to explore research and development partnerships.
The pavilion’s program features five sessions, among them a “super session” on innovation and opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology sector.
The center will also give presentations on biotechnology and health research, the Saudi Biobank, and the sector’s role in Vision 2030.
The Ministry of Health will launch an accelerator program for biotech startups and host a reception for global investors and industry experts to discuss potential partnerships.
The participation underscores Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support research and development through digital infrastructure, regulatory support, and institutional collaboration.
Jadal Library: A cultural oasis in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province
- Ali Al-Herz turned his home into a library of over 37,000 books, offering visitors space where memory, philosophy, culture come alive
DHAHRAN: In the quiet village of Umm Al-Hamam, located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, a lifelong passion for books has been transformed into a cultural haven.
Ali Al-Herz, a bibliophile and literary archivist, has turned his home into Jadal Library, a treasure trove of over 37,000 books, more than 100,000 newspapers and magazines, and antiques, some dating back more than a century.
Yet Jadal is not just a library; it is much more than that. It is a museum to explore, a philosophical space to reflect, and a stand against forgetting important cultural stories.
Al-Herz told Arab News: “Since I was born I have been surrounded by my mother’s books. I grew up immersed in this passion to the point where it completely took hold of me; I became a bookworm.”
The spark that ignited it all was when Al-Herz encountered the epic “Sirat Antar” at age 13. “From that epic and through it, I began to look into other worlds,” he said.
This curiosity and fascination ultimately led Al-Herz to create one of Saudi Arabia's most unique initiatives.
The name “Jadal” means “debate” or “discussion” in Arabic, reflecting the library’s curious spirit. For Al-Herz, the goal is not just to preserve texts but also to preserve the idea of questioning and exploring ideas.
Al-Herz said: “I chose this name for the library because it is deeply rooted in ancient Greek philosophical history and in our own Arab-Islamic cultural tradition, particularly in our religious heritage.”
The philosophical atmosphere fills three main halls — named after Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle — which welcome visitors into a curated world of reading and reflection.
Rare manuscripts, ancient texts, newspapers, and antiques have been carefully archived. Each piece is a whisper from the past speaking into the future.
Al-Herz explained: “Even my recent focus on buying books has mostly shifted toward rare editions and old prints, to create a harmony between heritage and modernity.”
But Jadal is not stuck in nostalgia, as every two weeks Al-Herz holds a literary gathering. The event brings back a tradition that was once important in the intellectual life of Arabs.
It is an environment where writers, scholars, and thinkers gather over Arabic coffee to exchange ideas in a vibrant atmosphere.
And in a time when people seek instant information online, Al-Herz still uses traditional methods. “There is an ongoing struggle between two generations,” he observed. “Victory will ultimately go to this latter generation once my generation becomes extinct. Paper libraries will then be transformed into museums.”
Perhaps he is right; but for now, in the heart of Qatif’s countryside, Jadal Library lives on, and it is a place where ink, memory, debate, and heritage continue to shape the cultural soul of the Kingdom.
Saudi envoy leads maritime safety talks in London
- Kamal Al-Junaidi is the first Arab to preside over the committee
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization recently made history by chairing the 51st advisory committee meetings of the International Mobile Satellite Organization in London.
Kamal Al-Junaidi is the first Arab to preside over the committee, creating a milestone for both the Kingdom and the Arab world in maritime governance, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
His role also reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing presence in international maritime organizations and commitment to advancing maritime communication and safety systems.
Al-Junaidi managed the sessions and acted as a neutral facilitator, helping member states reach consensus on key issues, including oversight of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, implementation of Long Range Tracking and Safety standards and audit reviews for satellite communication providers.
He also led discussions on proposed maritime safety regulation amendments, monitored the organization’s strategic direction to ensure alignment with IMO standards and submitted the committee’s recommendations to the General Assembly.
The 51st session took place at the IMO headquarters in London, with representatives from 44 countries engaging in in-depth discussions on key maritime challenges.
