Minister of Hajj Officially Closes 2026 Operations, Claims Cost Reduction
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has officially declared the conclusion of the 2026 Hajj operations across Indonesia, marked by the arrival of the final flight group on Wednesday (1/7). Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, known as Gus Irfan, stated that the operational closure coincided with the landing of the Ujung Pandang 43 group at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar. “With this, the Hajj operations for the entire Indonesia are officially concluded,” he said during the closing ceremony at the Surabaya Hajj Dormitory.
Throughout this year’s Hajj season, the ministry dispatched a total of 527 flight groups, comprising 202,636 regular pilgrims from 16 embarkation points across Indonesia. Additionally, 16,585 special Hajj pilgrims and 1,016 special Hajj officers were deployed. Gus Irfan claimed that his ministry successfully reduced the Hajj cost by IDR 2 million without compromising service quality. “The reduction in Hajj costs this year was achieved without lowering service standards; in fact, according to the pilgrims’ own acknowledgements, the services improved compared to previous years,” he stated.
Several innovations were credited for supporting this year’s operations, including a quota allocation system based on queue order and the first-time use of an embarkation point without a Hajj dormitory in Yogyakarta. The ministry also reported a significant decrease in pilgrim mortality, with a 20 percent reduction compared to the previous year. A total of 367 pilgrims and one officer died in Saudi Arabia during the season. Minister Gus Irfan acknowledged that while the decline was notable, the figure remained unsatisfactory, and he committed to tightening health screenings for prospective pilgrims in the future. Currently, 60 pilgrims remain hospitalised in Saudi Arabia, with seven in Jeddah, 31 in Madinah, and 22 in Makkah.
The minister also highlighted that the 2026 Hajj was conducted with limited human resources, operating at only 50 percent of the ideal staffing level. Despite this, he expressed deep appreciation for the dedication of the officers, including a special tribute to a health worker from Central Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, who died while on duty. Looking ahead, Gus Irfan confirmed that preparations for the 2027 Hajj season will begin immediately, with a comprehensive evaluation forum scheduled to start this weekend.