Hajj Waiting List in South Sulawesi Reduced from 50 Years to 26 Years

The Head of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) for South Sulawesi, M Ikbal Ismail, stated that the waiting list for performing the Hajj pilgrimage in South Sulawesi is no longer up to 50 years. Currently, he said, the longest waiting period for Hajj departure is 26 years. “Last year, Bantaeng Regency had waits up to 50 years. After the new policy, alhamdulillah, on average across Indonesia, the longest waiting list is 26 years,” Ikbal said at the Sudiang Hajj Dormitory in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday (21/4). According to Ikbal, the total number of Hajj pilgrims in South Sulawesi is 9,857. However, as of 20 April, there are 263,149 people still on the waiting list. “The number of Hajj pilgrims on the waiting list in South Sulawesi is 263,149 people. Insyaallah, the longest wait will be 26 years,” he stated. Ikbal explained that the Hajj quota for South Sulawesi is 9,670 pilgrims, with details including 484 in the elderly category who receive priority services. “The government has allocated a Hajj quota for South Sulawesi of 9,670, comprising 9,110 regular pilgrims, 484 priority elderly, 25 KBU guides, and 51 regional Hajj officials,” he said. Pilgrims who have entered the Sudiang Hajj Dormitory in Makassar will undergo health checks, particularly for the elderly and fertile women. “For women of childbearing age, we conduct checks because we are concerned that some pilgrims might be pregnant. If urine tests reveal a foetus aged 16 to 24 weeks, we will not allow them to depart,” he clarified. Two Different Services Ikbal mentioned that this Hajj season features two services different from previous years. “The nusk distribution, previously done in Mecca City, is now carried out at the Makassar Embarkation Hajj Dormitory,” he said. Additionally, immigration document checks for all Hajj pilgrims will be conducted at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. Thus, pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia can proceed directly to their hotels without further checks. “The Saudi immigration passport checks, previously done in Jeddah and Madinah, alhamdulillah, this year have been moved to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport. That is the difference from previous years,” Ikbal explained.