First Wave of 2025 Hajj Departures Begins, Elderly Pilgrims a Priority

• 

• English

Senin, 5 Mei 2025 - 18:00 WIB

Jakarta, VIVA – The 2025 Hajj pilgrimage officially began with the departure of the first wave of Indonesian pilgrims to the Holy Land on Friday (May 2).

A day earlier, on May 1, prospective pilgrims entered the Hajj dormitories to undergo a series of pre-departure preparations.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is continuing its “Elderly-Friendly Hajj” program for the 2025 season. A major focus this year is on elderly pilgrims, who are given priority in this year's Hajj organization.

Data from Siskohat (the Integrated Hajj Information System) shows that out of the 7,412 pilgrims who departed on the first day, 1,617—or about 21.8 percent—were elderly.

These elderly pilgrims were spread across 19 groups departing from various embarkation points, including Jakarta, Solo, Surabaya, Batam, Makassar, and Lombok.

The first flight carrying Hajj pilgrims was JKG 1, which took off at 01:17 AM using Garuda Indonesia GA 7301. Out of the 393 passengers, 86 were elderly.

The last flight of the day was JKG 4, which departed at 10:37 PM, carrying 106 elderly out of 393 pilgrims.

Surabaya recorded the highest number of elderly pilgrims, with 124 out of 376 in group SUB 2. Across three Surabaya flights, a total of 318 elderly pilgrims were flown out.

Indonesia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Ahmad, who directly monitored the arrival of pilgrims in Medina, expressed appreciation for the welcoming process and the quality of hotel services.

"Today’s arrivals went well, very well. Smooth process. The pilgrims didn’t seem too exhausted. Even though it was a long journey, they still looked fresh," he said in Medina last Friday.

He also highlighted the effectiveness of the fast track system, which eases arrival procedures.

“Hopefully, even for those not using the fast track system, the process won’t take too long at the airport. Since it's summer now, long waits at the airport could be tiring for the pilgrims,” he explained.

To ensure a smooth pilgrimage, the government has prepared special services for elderly and high-risk pilgrims. This includes training officers in the murur scheme (passing through Muzdalifah without stopping) and tanazul (staggered returns).

Meanwhile, ahead of the peak of Hajj on June 5, 2025, all Indonesian chefs assigned to the Holy Land have undergone special training.

They will be stationed at 55 kitchens across Mecca and Medina to serve authentic Nusantara meals, maintaining food quality and taste.

Officers continue to remind pilgrims to stay healthy, especially as Mecca temperatures can reach 38–39°C.

They're urged to stay hydrated, wear head coverings, and use sunglasses to maintain their stamina through the peak days of the Hajj.