South Kalimantan Hajj Embarkation Facility Opens, Ministry Calls for Direct Flights to Saudi Arabia

Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah inaugurated a new Class I Hajj dormitory in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan. The 44‑room building can host 176 pilgrims and meets three‑star hotel standards. Governor H. Muhidin urged the creation of direct flights from South Kalimantan to Jeddah and Medina to streamline pilgrim travel.

A day later, Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf led an evaluation of the 2026 Hajj operation in the province. He emphasized a zero‑tolerance policy for violations and called for concrete improvements to service standards, coordination, and health risk management. The Banjarbaru embarkation handled 6,791 participants—including 6,715 pilgrims and 76 staff—across 19 flight groups. Over 4,000 pilgrims were identified as having high health risks, prompting calls for stronger health‑screening coordination. Nationally, pilgrim mortality fell about 25 % compared with the previous year, though the minister said further reductions are needed.