E-Prosiding Persidangan Serantau Manasik Haji 2025 (MANASIK2025)

MANASIK2025 Putrajaya, Malaysia, 7-8 Oktober 2025 664 directly in the field (Suhada, 2024). These challenges can be elaborated as follows: 1. Communication and Language Although most students had a basic proficiency in Arabic, in practice, communication with pilgrims from diverse cultural and regional backgrounds required a higher level of language mastery, including an understanding of local dialects. This was essential to ensure effective service, particularly in building harmonious interpersonal relationships with pilgrims. 2. Cultural Differences and Social Adaptation Internship students in Saudi Arabia were faced with significant cultural differences, both in communication styles, social norms, and work ethics. The work culture in Saudi Arabia tends to be more formal and hierarchical compared to that in Indonesia. Therefore, the ability to adapt quickly was a key factor in interacting and working productively within such an environment. 3. Extreme Climatic Conditions The extremely hot and dry weather in Saudi Arabia posed a physical challenge, especially for students unaccustomed to desert climates. Adaptation to this environment was crucial in maintaining stamina, health, and consistent performance throughout the internship period. 4. Conflict Management among Pilgrims In the context of religious services, the potential for conflict among pilgrims often arose due to differences in cultural backgrounds, personalities, perspectives, or personal interests. Therefore, students were required to develop conflict management skills, namely the ability to anticipate, mediate, and resolve disputes wisely and proportionally (Ali, 2024). Overall, the internship as a mutawwif was not only focused on the technical aspects of guiding pilgrims but also served as a comprehensive learning process through real-life challenges encountered in the field. This experience equipped students with skills and insights that were not only relevant for careers in the field of Hajj and Umrah but also valuable for personal and professional development in a broader context (Humas, UIKA Encourages the Enhancement of Students’ Global Competence through the Mutawwif Internship Program in Madinah, 2025).