Hajj Minister Sends Off 391 Indonesian Pilgrims in First Departure

April 22, 2026 | 01:41 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf saw off the departure of 391 hajj pilgrims from the first group, Embarkation Jakarta-Pondok Gede (JKG-01), at the Jakarta Class I Hajj Dormitory on Tuesday night, April 21, 2026. Hundreds of pilgrims departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang for Saudi Arabia on early Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Irfan Yusuf stated that the departure of the first group marked the beginning of the 2026 hajj pilgrimage. "This marks the start of this year's long series of hajj services that we must collectively ensure their quality," said Irfan in a written statement on Wednesday.

The minister ensured that all departing pilgrims had met the administrative requirements, especially possessing an official hajj visa. This is crucial to avoid rejection by Saudi Arabia and ensure pilgrims can complete the pilgrimage without issue.

Furthermore, the government has prepared various mitigation measures, including a reserve pilgrim program, to account for empty seats resulting from cancellations. Irfan referred to this as an effort to optimally utilize the 2026 hajj quota.

"We have prepared a replacement mechanism or reserve pilgrims to fill empty seats, whether due to health reasons, cancellations, or other emergencies. This is part of our effort to maintain the optimization of the quota," said Irfan.

Irfan urged all pilgrims to be disciplined and follow the officers' instructions during departure and throughout the pilgrimage. He hopes that the entire departure process goes smoothly so that the pilgrims can complete their pilgrimage and return to Indonesia having performed an accepted Hajj (haji mabrur).

According to Irfan, all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Immigration, Police, and the Hajj Implementation Officers (PPIH), have coordinated to ensure a smooth departure process and anticipate various potential obstacles in the field.

Meanwhile, the PPIH team in Medina is also on alert to ensure operational readiness for the arrival of the first group of pilgrims. Irfan stated that the government will continue to monitor until all pilgrims depart for Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has divided the departure of hajj pilgrims into two waves and 525 clusters. The first wave began departing on Wednesday, April 22, while the second wave will be on May 7, 2026. Indonesia has been allotted a hajj quota of 221,000 people this year, where 92 percent is for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj.

Read: Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims Safe Despite Middle East Tensions, Official Says

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