JAKARTA:聽Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated on Sunday a special terminal for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims at Jakarta鈥檚 international airport, where travel will also be facilitated under 黑料社区鈥檚 Makkah Route initiative.
Indonesia, which has the world鈥檚 largest Muslim-majority population, sends the highest number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims every year.
As pilgrims around the world have already begun to make their way to 黑料社区 for Hajj this year, about 221,000 people will be coming from Indonesia.
鈥淭he government wants to give the best service for our pilgrims. We also understand that many of our pilgrims are seniors, and so we must take very good care of them,鈥 Subianto said during the inauguration ceremony at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
鈥淲e understand that our pilgrims have saved up for a long time, and even waited for a long time, and so the government under my leadership will do our very best to give the best services and work hard to lower the cost of Hajj.鈥
The airport鈥檚 2F terminal area, which has undergone renovations, has been transformed into a dedicated area for Indonesia鈥檚 Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. It was developed to serve 6.1 million travelers annually, according to a statement issued by the Cabinet Secretariat.
The launch event was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Faisal Abdullah Amodi, as well as other Indonesian ministers, including Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.
Special counters for Saudi immigration, which are part of the Kingdom鈥檚 Makkah Route initiative, have also been set up at the new terminal.
The program launched in Muslim-majority countries in 2019 allows Hajj pilgrims to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements in one place, at the airport of origin, and save long hours of waiting before and upon reaching the Kingdom.
In Indonesia, pilgrims departing from the cities of Jakarta, Surabaya and Solo are benefiting from the Makkah Route initiative.
鈥淎s President Prabowo said, this is proof of the government鈥檚 commitment to give the best service, especially for our senior pilgrims. He is also proud of the modern and comfortable facilities that have been set up,鈥 Umar, the religious affairs minister, said on social media.
Thousands of Indonesian pilgrims have begun to depart for 黑料社区, after the first Hajj flights commenced last Friday.
Though the pilgrimage itself can be performed over five or six days, many pilgrims arrive early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty.
In 2025, the Hajj is expected to take place on June 4 and end on June 9.
