This carte-de-visite photograph depicts an Arab in the Dutch colonial capital of Batavia (present-day Jakarta) preparing for the hajj.

The Arabs in Southeast Asia generally were from the area of Hadramaut in the southern part of Arabia. During the 19th century; the number of Arabs immigrating to Asia increased; but they remained tied to their homeland and often used the wealth acquired in their new homes to finance projects in Arabia. Despite sharing their Muslim faith with native Indonesians; Arabs maintained separate communities; particularly during the colonial period.

The photograph was taken by the studio of Woodbury & Page; which was established in 1857 by the British photographers Walter Bentley Woodbury and James Page.