Arrival of the First Special Hajj Pilgrims at Madinah Airport

MADINAH, KOMPAS.com - Special Hajj pilgrims made their inaugural landing at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (2/5/2026). The special Hajj pilgrims arrived via the International Arrivals Terminal at approximately 11.20 Saudi time. Dani Pramudya, Deputy Head of the Special Hajj Supervision Sub-Directorate of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Organiser Control at the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, revealed that the number of inaugural special Hajj pilgrims arriving at Madinah Airport today was around 42 people. They travelled on Etihad Airways flight EY-631 on the Jakarta-Madinah route. There are several differences between special Hajj and regular Hajj, including waiting times, costs, and the timing of performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Abdul Basir, Head of the Airport Working Area, stated that the Hajj Organising Task Force (PPIH) for the Airport Working Area began receiving the arrival of special Hajj pilgrims in Madinah from 2 May 2026 and will continue gradually until approaching the Hajj peak. Ayman Sofyan, the Madinah Airport Coordinator Team for Patuna, disclosed that a total of 1,100 special Hajj pilgrims from Patuna departed for the Holy Land. They are divided into 26 buses. “So the special Hajj pilgrims arriving today will carry out the Hajj process and return (to Indonesia) in approximately 30 days or around 1 June 2026,” he said.