The Government of Saudi Arabia announced that umrah will be re-opened for a number of countries starting August 10, 2021. However, there is a new regulation from the Saudi government regarding the necessity of a 14-day quarantine in the 3rd country for umrah pilgrims from Indonesia.

In response, the Muslim Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators (AMPHURI) said this rule is very burdensome for pilgrims. This is because the cost of umrah trip will be longer and tripled because it needs to increase quarantine costs.

"For example, he must be 14 days to the transit country then 8 days let's assume the package is taken 8 days in Saudi Arabia, then when he returns must quarantine again 8 days, so the total trip becomes 30 days, where previously umrah was about 8 days now to 30 days," said Bungsu Sumawijaya as Vice Chairman of AMPHURI interviewed in CNBC Indonesia's PROFIT program, Thursday (29/07/2021).

"Automatic will be very burdensome for worshippers. Then the cost will automatically go up, where we have to stay in the transit country 14 days, much longer than in Saudi Arabia itself," he continued.

AMPHURI expects the Indonesian government to approach through the lobby of the President and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) so as to open the opportunity for the implementation of umrah for indonesian citizens.

In addition, there is a vaccine obligation for migrants to arrive. King Salman's State Authority stated that there are certain vaccine criteria that will be allowed where pilgrims from countries using sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine should be boostered with other brands such as Pfizer.

Saudi itself has banned flights from Indonesia since February 2021. The oil-rich country strictly stems from the case of Covid-19, among others by limiting the 2021 hajj quota to 60,000 people from the usual 2 million to 2.5 million people.