Tangerang. President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the newly designated Hajj and Umrah Terminal at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on Sunday, as part of the government’s effort to improve services for pilgrims.

In his remarks, President Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia is the country with the largest number of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in the world. Therefore, the revitalization of Terminal 2F into a dedicated terminal marks an important step in enhancing the quality of services for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

"Indonesia is the largest sender of Hajj and Umrah groups in the world. The government is committed to providing the best service for our pilgrims,” Prabowo said.

This year, Indonesia received a Hajj quota of 221,000 pilgrims from the Saudi Arabian government -- the largest allocation among all countries. The Hajj season has officially begun, and the first groups from Indonesia departed last Friday from various embarkation points.

President Prabowo also highlighted the importance of paying special attention to elderly pilgrims to ensure their safety and health during the pilgrimage. Indonesian pilgrims typically stay in Saudi Arabia for an average of 40 days.

In addition, Prabowo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making the cost of the Hajj pilgrimage more affordable for the public.

“We are doing our best to provide top-quality service and striving to reduce Hajj costs -- as low as we possibly can,” he added.

The Indonesian parliament has agreed to reduce the proposed Hajj pilgrimage cost to Rp 89.7 million ($5,537) per person, down from the initial proposal of Rp 93.4 million. The reduction comes in response to a directive from Prabowo to ease the financial burden on Indonesian Muslims seeking to fulfill this religious obligation.

The inauguration ceremony was marked by the sounding of a siren and the signing of a commemorative plaque by President Prabowo, accompanied by several key figures: Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, and Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Amudi.

Following the ceremony, President Prabowo toured several public facilities at the new terminal and saw off a departing group of Hajj pilgrims.