The certification for the Hajj and Umrah Ritual Guides, Batch XI, was organized by the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Affairs (PHU) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Faculty of Da'wah and Communication Sciences (FDIKOM) of UIN Jakarta, and the Association of Indonesian Muslim Hajj and Umrah Organizers (AMPHURI). The event took place at the Golden Tulip Essential Hotel in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday (1/3).

The event was opened by the Chairman of the Hajj and Umrah Ritual Guides, Cecep Castrawijaya, who was also attended by the Chairman of AMPHURI, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Jakarta, the Rector of UIN Jakarta, and the Director General of Hajj and Umrah Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

In his address, Saiful Mujab, the Director General of Hajj and Umrah Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia, conveyed the increase in the Hajj quota for the year 2024, which is higher than the previous year.

"The hajj policy for the year 2024, by the grace of Allah, Indonesia will receive a significantly increased hajj quota compared to previous years. Normally, the quota is 221 thousand, but this year we will have an additional allocation, making it, by the grace of Allah, 241 thousand," he said.

According to the Chairman of AMPHURI, Firman M Nur, the implementation of the Certification for Hajj and Umrah Ritual Guides aims to realize the government's program as regulated in Law Number 8 of 2019 and to comply with the standards set forth in Law Number 5 of 2021.

"As the honored guests (the hajj pilgrims), we must walk together and support the government's program to ensure that the umrah business sector operates in accordance with Law Number 8 of 2019. We are organizing the Certification for Hajj and Umrah Ritual Guides to fulfill the mandate of this law and also to adhere to the standards stipulated in Law Number 5 of 2021," said Firman M Nur, Chairman of AMPHURI.

The Law Number 5 of 2021 referred to is the ministerial regulation concerning the standards for the activities of umrah pilgrimage travel organizers and special hajj pilgrimage organizers.

In his address, Cecep Khairul Anwar, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Jakarta, expressed his hope that the implementation of the Certification for Hajj and Umrah Ritual Guides, Batch XI, would serve the pilgrims professionally.

"In providing training, services, and protection for the hajj pilgrims in accordance with sharia provisions, it is hoped that the hajj ritual guides have a comprehensive understanding of the hajj rituals so that the pilgrims can be served adequately. That's what we call professionalism," he explained. (Reporter: Kuni Hanifah)