Banten Provincial Government: Return of 8,993 Hajj Pilgrims via Hajj Dormitory

The Banten Provincial Government has confirmed that 8,993 Hajj pilgrims from eight regencies and cities will return via the Hajj Dormitory, also known as Grand El Hajj Banten, in Cipondoh, Tangerang City. This arrangement ensures that families do not need to travel to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to collect pilgrims.

Tubagus Rubal Faisal, Head of the Bureau of People’s Welfare of the Banten Provincial Secretariat, stated on Tuesday that 202<0xA0>6 represents a significant milestone for Hajj services in Banten. For the first time, the Cipondoh Hajj Dormitory is serving not only as an embarkation point for departures but also as a debarkation point for arrivals. This change follows the Decree of the Minister of Hajj Number 69 of 2026 regarding the Designation of Hajj Embarkation and Debarkation, which officially designates Cipondoh as the arrival point for Banten’s pilgrims.

Rubal noted that the presence of the Grand El Hajj facility in Cipondoh provides various service conveniences for the people of Banten, including reducing travel time, as pilgrims previously had to travel through the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory for the return process. He explained that for the 2026 Hajj season, Banten is sending 24 groups of pilgrims, consisting of 19 pure groups and 5 mixed groups.

For the first group (JKB-01), 390 pilgrims returned to the country today. Ahmad Muafiq, Head of the Banten Hajj Dormitory Technical Implementation Unit, reported that of the 384 pilgrims arriving today, one person passed away while performing the Hajj pilgrimage in the Holy Land. The total group of 390 included 386 pilgrims and 4 officials. The arrival schedule for Banten pilgrims is expected to continue until 29 June 2026, with a total of 8,993 pilgrims expected to arrive at the Grand El Hajj Banten debarkation point.