Jakarta, Feb. 11 -- The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah aims to begin shipping rice to Saudi Arabia for Indonesian citizens joining the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in the early days of Ramadan.

"We are making efforts to start exporting Hajj rice in the initial week of Ramadan, hoping to ensure that the shipments will have already arrived ahead of the upcoming Hajj season," Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said.

Speaking at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in Jakarta on Wednesday, he highlighted that the plan is to send at least 2,280 tonnes of rice to cater to the needs of 205,420 individuals comprising pilgrims and Hajj officers.

The amount, he added, is based on the estimated eating frequency of pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage: 78 t...