RIYADH: Saudi Interior Minister and Supreme Hajj Committee Chairman Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif held separate meetings with senior Iranian and Indonesian Hajj officials in Jeddah as the Kingdom intensifies preparations for the annual pilgrimage, according to reports by the Saudi Press Agency.
In separate talks on Thursday, Prince Abdulaziz received Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Alireza Rashidian and Indonesia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf.
The Saudi minister reaffirmed the commitment of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to serving pilgrims from around the world and ensuring they perform Hajj rituals with ease, safety and peace of mind.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf (left) in Jeddah on May 20, 2026. (SPA)
During the meeting with the Indonesian minister, the two sides reviewed cooperation and coordination related to Hajj operations and discussed issues of mutual interest, SPA reported. Several Saudi officials also attended the talks.
Prince Abdulaziz also received Ashraf Abdel Muti, head of Egypt’s Hajj Affairs Office. The minister welcomed Egyptian pilgrims and affirmed the commitment of Saudi leaders in leveraging human and technical resources to serve pilgrims.
Muti expressed appreciation for the Kingdom's efforts and preparations to serve pilgrims, praising the level of care and services provided to them from their arrival in the Kingdom until their departure.
For the current 2026 Hajj season, Egypt has been allocated an official national quota of 90,000 pilgrims by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Prince Abdulaziz receives Ashraf Abdel Muti, head of Egypt’s Hajj Affairs Office, in Jeddah on May 20, 2026. (SPA)
Indonesia continues to hold the world’s largest national Hajj quota, with allocations totaling around 221,000 pilgrims, including more than 203,000 regular pilgrims and nearly 18,000 special-category slots, according to figures published through the Saudi Ministry of Hajj’s Nusuk Masar platform. Indonesia’s Hajj airlift this season has involved roughly 548 dedicated flights transporting pilgrims to the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Iran’s official Hajj quota stands at 87,550 pilgrims, although official dispatches and arrivals data indicate that only about one-third of the allocation is being utilized this year. Around 30,000 Iranian pilgrims are expected to arrive in the Kingdom on direct flights following the restoration of air access under Saudi crowd-management regulations.
Prince Abdulaziz received Alireza Rashidian, head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, in Jeddah on May 20, 2026. (SPA)
SPA reported last year that around 76,000 Iranian pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
Rashidian expressed appreciation for the Kingdom’s preparations and services for pilgrims, praising the level of organization provided during this year’s Hajj season, SPA said.
