JAKARTA, Thekabarnews.com—The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) of Indonesia is considering the possibility of extending the government’s flagship Free Meals Program (MBG) to children of Indonesian migrant workers overseas. Saudi Arabia is being considered as a potential pilot area.

BGN Head Dadan Hindayana announced the proposal during his visit to the Indonesian School of Jeddah on May 31, 2026. The school caters to the children of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. As a result, it could be the first outside Indonesia to join the nutrition program.

Dadan said that the idea came from the students themselves.

“Many children in the Indonesian School of Jeddah are very well aware of the implementation of the MBG program in the country and closely follow developments in Indonesia,” he said. During his visit, students reportedly demanded the same benefits as their Indonesian counterparts.

They are very up to date on the latest news in Indonesia regarding the MBG Program.

“They said they want to have the same program so they can enjoy it spontaneously with their friends at home,” said Dadan, as cited in Kompascom.

Today, the Indonesian School in Jeddah has around 1,080 students. This makes it one of the largest Indonesian schools outside of Indonesia. Another Indonesian school in Makkah has about 400 students.

Dadan conducted the visit during a school holiday period. Even so, more than 100 students and 56 teachers were present to welcome the delegation. This showed strong enthusiasm for the program.

The initiative has attracted strong support, but authorities are still evaluating its feasibility.

Dadan stressed that the BGN would first present the results and recommendations to President Prabowo Subianto. After that, a final decision would be made.

Currently the government is considering establishing the nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG) at the Indonesian School of Jeddah. The facility would operate in a similar way to existing facilities across Indonesia under the MBG framework.

“We are here to do an assessment, and we will report the results to the president to see if it is feasible to establish an SPPG at the Indonesian School of Jeddah,” said Dadan.

If approved, the school will be the first overseas school to implement Indonesia’s MBG Program. It could also serve as a model for scaling up to other Indonesian schools abroad.

The government said the implementation mechanism would be very much like the domestic model. However, the program would require cooperation between several ministries and agencies. These include Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

BGN will also work with local partners to help with the preparation and distribution of meals.

Menus would be tailored to local conditions and ingredients, officials said. For example, a fusion of Indonesian and Saudi Arabian cuisines was available for students. The program offers the possibility to meet nutritional standards and local food options.

This initiative is part of the Indonesian government’s larger effort around the MBG program, one of President Prabowo’s signature social initiatives. The aim is to improve child nutrition and education outcomes.

Since its inception, the program has focused on reducing malnutrition and increasing students’ concentration. It also contributes to the long-term development of Indonesia’s youth.

It would be wonderful to see this program expand to other countries. The program would support both Indonesia’s government nutrition initiative and Indonesian communities living abroad.

Jeddah students and families wait for a decision that could be one of Indonesia’s largest social programs in the world. Meanwhile, officials continue to assess the situation.

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