Riyadh / Jakarta - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has approved an additional 10,000 Hajj slots for Nigeria for Hajj 2027, in a major diplomatic win for the West African nation. Following diplomatic engagements between the Federal Government, NAHCON (National Hajj Commission of Nigeria) and Saudi authorities, the Saudi Ministry on Wednesday communicated the approval. This now brings Nigeria's total allocation for next year's Hajj exercise to 60,000 slots. "This means that we now have the opportunity to register more intending pilgrims for next year's Hajj. This is, indeed, good news," an insider in NAHCON told Tribune Online. The announcement comes just as preparations for Hajj 1448 (2027) have begun globally. The Indian Envoy to Saudi Arabia also met with Abdulfattah bin Suleiman Al-Mashat, Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah, on October 4 to review preparations for Hajj 2027. Indonesia's Big Relief: Waiting Time Now 14 Years In another major update, Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim-majority country - has cut its Hajj waiting time to an average of 14 years for pilgrims departing this year. Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak announced this after President Prabowo Subianto met the Minister and Vice Minister at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on September 28, 2026. Previously, Indonesian pilgrims had to wait up to 25-30 years in some provinces. The reduction to 14 years is seen as a major reform under the new Prabowo administration.