682 Personnel Prepared to Welcome Hajj Pilgrims
Preparations for welcoming Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia are entering the final stage ahead of the arrival of the first batch on 22 April 2026. Hajj Service Organisers (PPIH) ensure that all main services are ready, from accommodation and meals to transportation.
Director of Overseas Hajj Services and Deputy Chair II of PPIH Saudi Arabia, Budi Agung Nugroho, stated that 682 personnel have been dispatched from Jakarta and placed in Madinah work areas and airports.
“All personnel are prepared to ensure the arrival and movement processes of pilgrims run smoothly,” he said in an official statement, quoted on Tuesday, 21 April 2026.
He explained that the first batch from the Jakarta-Pondok Gede embarkation is scheduled to land at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah, at 06:50 local time. This year, pilgrims from that embarkation will again use the fast-track scheme, allowing faster immigration processes.
“With the fast-track scheme, the airport welcome will be brief. The official welcome will be conducted when pilgrims arrive at the hotel in Madinah,” Budi said.
According to him, the Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, along with the Consul General of Indonesia, is planned to attend the inaugural welcome at the hotel. PPIH is also collaborating with the syarikah side to regulate the flow of pilgrim movement from the airport to buses in an orderly manner.
“Pilgrim movement is organised by squad and group so that from the airport to hotel room distribution, they remain in one group,” Budi said.
In addition, baggage handling services are prepared so that pilgrims’ belongings arrive safely at the hotel. During their stay in Madinah, pilgrims will perform Arbain worship for eight to nine days with a guarantee of up to 27 meals. “After that, pilgrims will be dispatched to Makkah to follow the peak series of Hajj worship,” he said.
Based on data from the Centre for Data and Information of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah as of 15 April 2026, the profile of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims shows diversity. In terms of occupation, pilgrims are dominated by housewives numbering 52,717, followed by private employees at 46,462, civil servants at 40,143, and farmers at 24,126.
Meanwhile, in terms of education level, the majority are primary school graduates at 55,217, followed by high school/vocational school at 52,796, and bachelor’s or S-1 degree holders at 51,968. Viewed by age group, pilgrims are dominated by the 41 to 64 range, with 58,461 males and 78,955 females. In addition, elderly pilgrims over 65 years old are also significant, numbering more than 40,000.