PPIH Prepares 6,000 Safe and Comfortable Buses to Serve Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims
Madinah (ANTARA) - Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Organising Officers (PPIH) continue to enhance the quality of transportation services for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, including by providing 6,000 safe, comfortable, and modern bus fleets in the Holy Land.
Achmad Muslichuddin Tamdjiz, Head of the Madinah Regional Transport Section, stated in Madinah on Sunday that these services form part of the government’s commitment to improving the quality of Hajj pilgrimage organisation, particularly in the transportation sector.
“We have prepared this meticulously. We also provide drinking water during the journey as well as pick-up and ziyarah services,” he said.
The buses prepared to serve all movements of prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims for the 1447 H/2026 CE Hajj season appear new, clean, and equipped with supporting facilities, from onboard toilets to USB and Type C sockets at every seat.
At the Hijrah Bus Pool in Madinah, not far from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj’s Checkpoint Office, thousands of buses are neatly lined up. Strict standards are applied in fleet selection. All buses used must be under five years old. Even dozens of units, including new buses, are provided to ensure safety and suitability during travel.
To provide greater comfort, the government has limited passenger capacity. Although coach-type buses can accommodate up to 50 passengers, each fleet is filled with a maximum of 42 prospective pilgrims. This step is expected to provide more legroom for pilgrims during the journey.
These bus fleets will serve six main movement routes for pilgrims, from arrivals at the airport, inter-holy city travel (Madinah–Makkah), to returns to the homeland. PPIH collaborates with 15 transport companies, with the majority using large coach-type buses with capacities of 45 to 51 seats.
One of the providers is Rawahel Al Mashaer Co. As many as 100 bus units, among its thousands of fleets, are ready at the Hijrah Pool in Madinah. About 40 percent of the drivers are Indonesian nationals.
Hilal Husein Attijani, Operational Director of the company’s Madinah branch, stated that it has established close cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“We are ready to serve well. Indonesian pilgrims are known to be orderly and neat, so the dispatch process always runs smoothly,” Hilal said.
The movement flow in Madinah is relatively simple, as the distance from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport (AMAA) to the hotel is only about one hour. The transport team has prepared complete arrival documents, including group data and the number of buses. Intensive communication with airport authorities is also conducted to ensure smooth pick-ups.
Cases of pilgrims being left behind vehicles have also been anticipated. The team will prepare operational vehicles or coaster minibuses to catch up with any left-behind groups. With this enhancement of service standards, the government hopes that prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims can perform their worship more calmly, safely, and comfortably.