Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah hopes Tarakan transit hajj dormitory will also be used for umrah

Tanjung Selor, North Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, hopes that the Transit Hajj Dormitory Tower 2 in Tarakan City, North Kalimantan Province, which he inaugurated, will not only be used for hajj pilgrims but also for umrah pilgrims.

“Why did I come here? My hope is that this hajj dormitory is not only utilised by hajj pilgrims, but also by umrah pilgrims,” he stated on Tuesday.

According to him, the hajj dormitory can be utilised for umrah pilgrims because the number of umrah pilgrims is relatively larger compared to hajj pilgrims.

Every year, Dahnil said, the number of umrah pilgrims from across Indonesia reaches three million people.

“I am confident that the number from North Kalimantan is also relatively large because most umrah pilgrims from North Kalimantan fly from Jakarta, or otherwise from Balikpapan,” he added.

“If this hajj dormitory is then managed well, direct flights from here to Saudi Arabia would be very possible,” he said.

And that, according to Dahnil, would greatly depend on the number of pilgrims being managed effectively.

“Now, it’s not yet managed well, so they fly separately—some via Jakarta, some from Balikpapan, some from Makassar,” he explained.

The inauguration of the Transit Hajj Dormitory Tower 2 in Tarakan City is part of the Deputy Minister’s working visit in preparation for the departure of prospective hajj pilgrims from North Kalimantan Province for 1447 Hijriah/2026 CE in Tarakan City.