Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mohammad Irfan Yusuf said preparations for organizing the Hajj pilgrimage have progressed significantly and shown substantial improvement.
“We have secured two syarikah (service partners) that will serve Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. In addition, locations for Hajj rituals in Armuzna—Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina—have also been confirmed,” Yusuf said on Thursday.
He explained that most core services, including transportation, catering, and accommodation in Saudi Arabia, are largely in place, although some aspects are still being finalized.
Transportation and catering services have reached full readiness, while accommodation in Medina is about 93 percent complete.
“As for accommodation in Mecca, it has not yet been fully completed. God willing, we will be able to finalize and complete it in the near future,” he said.
Yusuf acknowledged that the process of determining accommodation, catering, and transportation providers has faced challenges, particularly from various parties seeking to advance their own interests.
“However, our principle remains clear. We must ensure accountability and transparency in every process,” he said.
Regarding flights, Yusuf said all schedules have been finalized earlier than in previous years. While flight arrangements were previously set close to departure dates, this year preparations have been completed well in advance.
“Requests for flight slots to Saudi Arabia have been submitted by two airlines, Saudia Airlines and Garuda Indonesia,” he said.
This year, two new embarkation points have been added: Banten, which will serve some pilgrims from West Java, and Yogyakarta.
“The Yogyakarta embarkation is quite unique because it operates without a Hajj dormitory. Instead, we are using hotels as a substitute, both for departure preparations and for the return of pilgrims,” Yusuf added.
