25 Candidates For The First Riau Umrah Congregation Depart To Makkah

PEKANBARU - Head of the Regional Office (Kakanwil) of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) Riau, Mahyudin said as many as 25 prospective Umrah pilgrims from Riau for the first time departed from today from Pekanbaru's SSK II airport to Saudi Arabia via Jakarta.

"The departure schedule for prospective Umrah pilgrims is under the authority of the private/travel bureau for Umrah, not the Riau Ministry of Religion," said Head of the Riau Ministry of Religion's Regional Office, Mahyudin in Pekanbaru, quoted by Antara, Monday, January 10.

He said that the prospective Umrah pilgrims departing now were prospective Umrah pilgrims who had registered two years ago and were delayed due to COVID-19.

They have all been registered and preferably those who have registered 2 years ago. A total of 50 thousand people throughout Indonesia are queuing for departure.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said Umrah pilgrims must continue to quarantine upon arrival in Indonesia after returning from Saudi Arabia.

"Still have to quarantine for 7 days, isn't it for the safety of all of us, the security concerned, the security of all of us, right?" said Luhut after attending a limited meeting on the evaluation of PPKM which was chaired directly by President Jokowi at the presidential office in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, January 10.

Previously, the Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organization (PHU) of the Ministry of Religion Hilman Latief said on Saturday, January 8, there were 419 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims who left for Saudi Arabia.

This departure is the first time for Indonesian Umrah pilgrims after the Umrah gate was closed since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.

"They have already left, is it time for them to come back again?" said Luhut.