The first wave of Hajj pilgrims will arrive at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in MedinaJakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs informed that the transportation for the 2022 Hajj pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia are arranged into two schemes.
"The first wave of Hajj pilgrims will arrive at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina," Secretary of the Hajj and Umrah Directorate General at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Ahmad Abdullah said in a virtual press conference on Sunday.
Based on the first scheme, the pilgrims would stay in Medina for around 8-9 days to carry out the Arbain worship at the Prophet's Nabawi Mosque.
"In addition to visiting the grave of the Prophet Muhammad at the Prophet's Mosque, the Hajj pilgrims will also receive a pilgrimage package to various historical places in the local area," he said.
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Then, the Hajj pilgrims will depart to Mecca to carry out the obligatory Umrah ritual.
Meanwhile, based on the second scheme of transportation arrangement, another group of the Hajj pilgrims will arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah and depart for Mecca to carry out obligatory Umrah ritual.
Abdullah conveyed the ministry's gratitude to all parties who have supported the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage implementation.
He noted that all parties' cooperation, coordination, support, and inputs have made the pilgrimage process run well.
"The Ministry of Religious Affairs would like to thank the President, the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, relevant ministries and institutions, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' offices at the provincial level, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' offices at the district and city level, governors, district heads, mayors, and other parties," he said.
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This year, Saudi Arabia has allowed the Hajj pilgrimage to open for one million pilgrims from various countries. Indonesia has been allotted a quota of 100,051 people for the pilgrimage.
Although it has allowed foreign pilgrims to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia has laid down two conditions for them this year. First, pilgrims must not be older than 65 years and must have received a full dose of any COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health.
Second, pilgrims traveling from abroad must have a certificate showing a negative PCR result, with the test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adj
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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