KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The first group of Malaysian haj pilgrims for the 1447H/2026 season safely arrived at Prince Mohammad Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah at 8.21 am local time (1.21 pm Malaysian time) today.
All 284 pilgrims departed on Malaysia Airlines flight MH8050 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 4.09 am (Malaysian time) and arrived at Hotel Emaar Royal, Madinah at 9.45 am (local time).
Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), in a statement, said the group was received by Malaysia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Datuk Syed Mohamad Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman, Deputy Head of the Malaysian Haj Delegation Mohd Ridzuan Wahi, Malaysia’s Haj Consul in Jeddah Radin Adi Hilmi, as well as TH senior management and staff.
Syed Mohamad Bakri said all preparations had been comprehensively carried out to ensure pilgrims could fully focus on their worship throughout their stay in the Holy Land.
“On behalf of the Malaysian Government and TH, I would like to express gratitude for the safe arrival of the first group of Malaysian haj pilgrims in Madinah. This is the result of meticulous planning, close cooperation with the Saudi authorities, and TH’s continuous commitment to ensuring the welfare and well-being of pilgrims remain a priority.
“I also see that TH personnel are committed to ensuring that every pilgrim is not only comfortable in terms of welfare, but also guided towards achieving a ‘mabrur haj’ (accepted pilgrimage), God willing,” he said.
Syed Mohamad Bakri also reminded pilgrims to maintain their health, increase their acts of worship and adhere to all guidelines and instructions throughout their stay in the Holy Land.
During their six-day stay in Madinah, the pilgrims will follow a scheduled programme, including visits to the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Nabawi), the tomb of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Raudhah and other historical sites around Madinah.
According to TH, two more flights carrying Malaysian haj pilgrims are expected to arrive in Madinah today, comprising 284 pilgrims at 2.10 pm and another 357 pilgrims at 9.10 pm local time.
The 1447H/2026 Haj operations, which officially commenced today, will see all 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims travel in stages to Madinah and Makkah via 100 chartered flights operated by AMAL by Malaysia Airlines and Saudia Airlines.
(Saudi Arabia time is five hours behind Malaysia)
