Age Over 65 Years, 231 Prospective Hajj Pilgrims From Riau Islands Cancel Their Trip To The Holy Land

BATAM - As many as 231 of the 589 prospective pilgrims from the Riau Islands Province have been confirmed to have canceled their trip to the Holy Land.

The Acting Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organization for the Regional Office of the Riau Islands Ministry of Religion, Edi Batara said that the reason hundreds of prospective hajj pilgrims were canceled to go to the Holy Land was that they were over 65 years old.

"What is clear is that the initial total of prospective pilgrims from the Riau Islands was 589, of the 589 aged over 65 years as many as 231 people. Automatically the numbers below go up, meaning that these numbers are under 65 years old," said the Acting Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organizing Division Regional Office of the Riau Islands Ministry of Religion, Edi Batara quoted from Antara, Saturday, June 4.

Edi explained that the Saudi Arabian government issued a new policy regarding the prohibition of prospective pilgrims over the age of 65 from participating in the 2022 hajj.

Previously, for two consecutive years, namely 2020 and 2021, the Government of Saudi Arabia closed the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage as an effort to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Edi said that prospective pilgrims who canceled their departure this year would fill the quota for next year's departure.

"Hopefully it will depart next year, so the age policy is a decision from the Saudi Arabian government," he said.

Previously, the Regional Office (Kanwil) of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of Riau Islands Province said, as many as 446 prospective pilgrims from Riau Islands were dispatched in the first flying group from Batam embarkation.

"Kepri group one, there are 446 pilgrims for Hajj candidates, plus 4 officers," said Head of the Riau Islands Ministry of Religion Mahbub, Wednesday, June 2.

He explained, that prospective pilgrims from the Riau Islands will enter the Hajj dormitory on June 14, 2022, and will leave for Medina on June 15, 2022.

"On June 14, our prospective pilgrims will enter the Hajj hostel and on June 15 they will fly in the afternoon," he said.