Indonesia Secures Strategic Mecca Hotel to Serve Thousands of Hajj Pilgrims

Jakarta: The Indonesian government has acquired a hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Indonesian Hajj Village project to support accommodation for Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Roeslani announced the acquisition at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday after reporting progress on the Hajj Village development to President Prabowo Subianto.

“We have purchased a hotel in the Tahrir area with a capacity of 1,461 rooms across three towers,” Rosan said, quoted from Antara, Thursday, 18 December 2025.

He explained that the hotel is expected to begin operations in January 2026 and will significantly improve the comfort and efficiency of accommodation for Indonesian pilgrims.

According to Rosan, the hotel can accommodate approximately 4,383 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. In addition to the hotel acquisition, the government has also secured around five hectares of land located directly in front of the property for further development.

On the site, the government plans to construct approximately 13 additional towers and a shopping center dedicated to serving Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

Once fully developed, the complex is expected to have a total of 6,025 rooms, with the capacity to accommodate more than 23,000 pilgrims.

“The location is only about 2.5 kilometers from the Grand Mosque,” Rosan added.

He noted that access to the Grand Mosque will be further improved with the completion of the Al-Hujun tunnel, which is targeted for completion next year.

The tunnel is expected to directly connect the pilgrims’ residential area to the Grand Mosque, reducing travel distance from the current 4.5–6 kilometers to approximately 2.5 kilometers.

Rosan said the development is expected to partially address the accommodation needs of around 200,000 Indonesian pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia each year.

He also reiterated that Indonesia followed a rigorous bidding process, with eight land plots offered. The government selected plot number six due to its relatively flat terrain and strategic location, despite competition from around 90 bidders.

Indonesia has passed a critical initial stage of the project with the signing of a conditional sales and purchase agreement, he concluded.