"With various facilities and protection in place, pilgrims are expected to perform their worship safely, comfortably, and solemnly," Teddy said in a social media post, as quoted on Thursday.
He made the statement following a send-off ceremony for 391 pilgrims from the first flight group of the Banten embarkation on Wednesday, attended by House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf.
The ceremony marked the start of Indonesia's 2026 Hajj operation.
Teddy added that the government has introduced several policies to support Indonesians performing the Hajj.
"The government has decided to reduce Hajj costs and shorten the waiting time for departure. We hope all pilgrims will be granted a smooth journey, good health, and attain a mabrur (accepted) Hajj," he said.
Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah reported that nearly 6,000 Indonesian pilgrims from the first wave had arrived in Medina, Saudi Arabia, following the start of the 2026 Hajj mission on April 22.
According to data, a total of 5,997 pilgrims in 15 flight groups had arrived in stages as of 22:55 Saudi time on Wednesday.
They departed from various embarkation points across Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Medan, Lombok, Solo, and Makassar.
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Translator: Prisca, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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