Indonesia celebrates expanded Makkah route access as Pilgrims went for Hajj

• The pilgrims will be sent to Saudi Arabia for the spiritual journey, one of the five pillars of Islam.
• The initiative, launched in 2019, assists pilgrims in meeting visa, customs, and health requirements at the airport of origin.
• This year, over 128,000 Indonesian pilgrims departing from the three selected cities will benefit from the initiative.

On Sunday, Indonesia welcomed the expansion of the Makkah Route initiative to three airports as the first batch of the country’s largest Hajj contingent to date departed for Saudi Arabia. This year, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation will send 241,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. Despite the Hajj this year expected to start on June 14 and end on June 19, many pilgrims depart early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty.

As Indonesia’s first Hajj flight carrying nearly 400 pilgrims departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for adding the Makkah Route initiative in other Indonesian cities.

“On behalf of the Indonesian government, I thank the Saudi government for providing additional fast-track facilities, other than Jakarta, it is now available in Solo and Surabaya,” Qoumas said after he sent off the first group in the Indonesian capital.

“Hopefully this will give ease, benefit, and a smooth journey for all Indonesian pilgrims.”

In 2019, the Kingdom launched the Makkah Route initiative as a pre-travel program designed to assist pilgrims in meeting all visa, customs, and health requirements at the airport of origin, saving them long hours of waiting before and upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. This year, more than 128,000 Indonesian pilgrims departing from the three selected cities will benefit from the initiative.

“We saw the fast-track service at the airport. It doesn’t take any longer than two minutes. It’s very fast and very helpful for the pilgrims. When they arrive, they don’t have to go through any other immigration process, they can just hop on the bus and begin their worship in the holy land,” Qoumas said.

This year, Saudi Arabia increased Indonesia’s quota of pilgrims by 20,000, raising it from 221,000 last year, thus making it the biggest in the Southeast Asian nation’s history. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, the Kingdom approved a quota of 231,000 pilgrims for Indonesia, marking the highest quota in previous years.

The additional quota will help shorten the wait for some pilgrims by a few years, which is especially important for elderly pilgrims. Official estimates suggest that many Indonesians have to wait up to 45 years for their turn. Ace Hasan Syadzili, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, was also present to see off the first batch of pilgrims on Sunday and commended the Makkah Route initiative.

“This is certainly helpful. Looking at the previous years, without fast track immigration can take between two to five hours. But this fast track will speed up services for Hajj pilgrims,” Syadzili said.

“We will continue to oversee and supervise the Hajj management process this year so that it is in line with the people’s expectations.”

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