Malang, East Java, Oct. 22 -- Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf expressed optimism that the establishment of the Hajj Village, which is targeted to begin initial operations in 2028, will help reduce the cost of organizing the pilgrimage for Indonesian worshippers.

The project, currently in the negotiation and land auction stage, is expected to offer an efficient solution for managing pilgrims in the Holy Land.

"God willing, if we can accommodate 200,000 people in one location, it will help reduce Hajj expenses," said Irfan Yusuf, who is commonly known as Gus Irfan, in Malang City, East Java, on Wednesday.

He explained that all technical and financial calculations related to the Hajj Village project are managed by the Inve...