Jakarta, Aug. 19 -- Indonesia has proposed raising the average cost of organizing the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Rp107.34 million (about US$6,027) per pilgrim in 2027, up from Rp87.41 million this year, the country's Hajj and Umrah minister said.

Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Wednesday that the proposed Hajj Pilgrimage Organizing Cost, known as BPIH, was driven by higher aviation fuel prices and a weaker rupiah against the US dollar.

The government also noted that geopolitical developments in the Middle East had contributed to fluctuations in global oil prices and affected air travel costs.

"The government ...