BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR – A total of 698 hajj pilgrims from Bali were officially sent off for the 2026 hajj season during a ceremony held at the Bali Governor’s Office on Saturday (April 25, 2026). The pilgrims are scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia on May 10, 2026.

Prior to the main departure, pilgrims from each regency and city across Bali will leave their hometowns on May 8, before entering the hajj dormitory on May 9.

Head of the Bali Provincial Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, H. Mahmudi, said the number of Muslims in Bali registering for hajj continues to rise every year based on data from the Integrated Hajj Computerized System of Indonesia (Siskohat).

According to him, the growing number of applicants reflects the improving economic condition of Bali’s Muslim community.

“The initial deposit of Rp25 million to secure a hajj quota is now, God willing, no longer considered too burdensome for residents in Bali,” he said.

Mahmudi added that 98.53 percent of Bali’s pilgrims this year are first-time hajj pilgrims.

Based on age data, the youngest pilgrim is 17 years old, while the oldest pilgrim, from Buleleng, is 88 years old.

In terms of gender composition, the group consists of 325 men and 355 women. By occupation, the majority are private sector workers with 236 people, followed by traders with 110, civil servants/state-owned enterprise employees with 96, military/police personnel with 11, and others with five.

This year’s Bali pilgrims are divided into two flight groups, namely Cluster 70 and Cluster 71.

Cluster 70 consists of pilgrims from Badung, Denpasar, Jembrana, Klungkung, Gianyar, and Bangli.

Meanwhile, Cluster 71 includes pilgrims from Denpasar, Buleleng, Karangasem, and Tabanan.

Bali Provincial Secretary Assistant for General Administration, I Wayan Serinah, congratulated all pilgrims who are set to depart for the Holy Land.

“On behalf of the Bali Provincial Government, we congratulate all hajj pilgrims who will depart for the Holy Land. Hopefully, the entire departure process and pilgrimage will run smoothly,” he said.

He also reminded pilgrims to remain vigilant and maintain their health amid the dynamic situation in the Middle East during this year’s hajj season.

Serinah conveyed a message from Bali Governor Wayan Koster urging all pilgrims to maintain discipline, unity, and solidarity during the pilgrimage.

“Coordination, discipline, and focus on worship are very important,” he stressed.