Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the preparations for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage have reached 95 percent. Indonesia will start departing the first batch of Hajj pilgrims on April 22, 2026.
The ministry has also prepared various mitigation scenarios if Middle East conflict escalation affects the pilgrims’ safety.
Dahnil explained on Thursday that the Hajj departure involves more than 500 flight groups from across Indonesia, with each group consisting of 350 to 400 pilgrims on average.
According to Dahnil, the Indonesian government strives to refine technical coordination to ensure a smooth departure process for all pilgrims.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochammad Irfan Yusuf said the government has prepared the main services for the pilgrims, from accommodation, logistics, to transportation, with visa issuance nearly completed.
“Accommodation in Mecca and Medina, food services, transportation, and pilgrim supplies have been prepared,” said Irfan.
This year’s Hajj season proceeds as the Middle East war looms in the background. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran. Tehran retaliated by attacking Israel and US military assets across the Gulf region.
There is no sign of a ceasefire thus far. This situation is unfolding alongside the plan to depart 221,000 Indonesian hajj pilgrims, consisting of 203,320 regular and 17,680 special pilgrims. The regular pilgrims will depart from 16 embarkation points, in 528 groups. The departure of the first group will begin on April 22, 2026.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Amudi claimed that the implementation of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage remains safe. He stated that the situation in Saudi Arabia is still under control and all preparations are going as planned by the local government, so there is no significant disruption to this year’s Hajj organization.
Source: antaranews
