Wamenhaj asks Hajj and Waqf officers to dedicate themselves to serving pilgrims  

Hajj officers attend the departure call at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, Jakarta, Friday, April 17. (ANTARA - Asep Firmansyah)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah RI Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak asked the Hajj officers who will depart to begin the 1447 Hijriah/2026 Masehi Hajj mission to dedicate themselves to serving Indonesian pilgrims wholeheartedly.

"Dedicate yourself completely to fulfilling your duties in the Holy Land. This is a holy mission for all of you, for your families, for the religion," said Dahnil after the briefing and release of Hajj officers at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, Jakarta, Friday, as reported by Antara.

In starting the 2026 hajj mission, around 400 Hajj officers will begin to depart for the Holy Land on Friday. They will be a team of predecessors to ensure the readiness of services to welcome guests of God.

The Hajj officers who started to leave were those who served in the Madinah Working Area (Daker) and the Airport. Meanwhile, the first group of prospective pilgrims will start departing on April 22, 2026.

Dahnil reminded the officers to prepare mentally, manage physically, and spiritually so that they can serve the congregation from arrival to return home.

"Today you will leave, we entrust the entire trust from the state, the trust from Allah SWT, the trust from the pilgrims, the spearhead of the success of the 2026 hajj is all of you," said Dahnil.

He also reminded the profile of Indonesian pilgrims who come from various backgrounds. Some are able to istithaah (health, mental, and financial), there are also the elderly and high-risk.

"Some of them are unable, they are people who dare to try to be able to go on the hajj. Most of them sell land, sell rice fields, some also save during their lives to go on the hajj. Well, the spirit of the Indonesian people is extraordinary. So, don't betray their trust to go on the hajj," he said.

Previously, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirmed that Indonesian Hajj officers would be sent to the Holy Land on April 17-18, 2026.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah (Menhaj) Mochamad Irfan Yusuf said the officers who initiated the Hajj mission were those who served in the Airport and Madinah Working Areas (Daker).

"The schedule for the departure of the PPIH Saudi Arabia in 2026 begins with the departure of the advance team on April 13, 2026. This is followed by the departure of Daker Airport and Daker Madinah on April 17 and 18, 2026," said Menhaj Irfan Yusuf.

Furthermore, he said, the Daker Makkah officers will be sent out gradually on April 22-24, 2026 to ensure the readiness of the pilgrims' services in the Holy Land. Meanwhile, the Amirul Hajj is scheduled to depart on May 19, 2026.