INDONESIA SENDS FIRST GROUP OF HAJJ PILGRIMS TO SAUDI ARABIA

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, May 2 (Bernama) -- Indonesia has officially commenced its 2025 Hajj pilgrimage operations with the departure of 393 pilgrims early Friday morning, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The first group, departing from the Jakarta-Pondok Gede embarkation point, left the Hajj Dormitory and travelled to Soekarno-Hatta Airport for their 12.45 am flight to Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

The group, comprising 171 men and 222 women, is part of the 7,514 pilgrims scheduled to depart in stages on the same day from various embarkation points across the country.

A send-off ceremony was held at the dormitory on Thursday, attended by Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi, and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal.

Director General of Hajj and Umrah Management, Hilman Latief, reminded pilgrims who entered the dormitory on Wednesday to fulfil their religious obligations sincerely and in accordance with Islamic teachings.

He also warned that Saudi Arabia is strictly enforcing entry regulations this year, allowing only pilgrims with valid Hajj visas to enter the country.

“Beware of individuals or organisations offering undocumented services. These may lead to fraud or legal issues,” Hilman stated in a statement.

This year, a total of 221,000 Hajj pilgrims will be departing from all embarkation points in Indonesia, including 203,320 regular Hajj pilgrims and 17,680 special Hajj pilgrims.

-- BERNAMA