Madinah: The first batch of Malaysian pilgrims for the 1446H/2025 haj season, comprising 284 individuals, arrived safely at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport here at about 8.04 am local time. They were warmly received at the Emaar Royal Madinah Hotel, where the Consul General of Malaysia in Jeddah, Roslan Sharif, along with Tabung Haji (TH) officials, including Malaysian Haj Consul Radin Adi Hilmi and director of Madinah operations, Affandi Abdullah, welcomed them.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the group of pilgrims, consisting of 112 men and 141 women, had departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang at 4.12 am aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH8050. This year, the Saudi Arabian government has approved a total of 31,600 haj quotas for Malaysian pilgrims, who will arrive in Madinah and Makkah in stages starting today.

Roslan Sharif expressed pride in the unwavering commitment shown by TH personnel and prayed for a smooth haj season, hoping that all pilgrims would be granted a mabrur (accepted) haj. Meanwhile, another flight from Malaysia, KT2, is expected to arrive in Madinah today at 10.38 am (local time), carrying 329 pilgrims, while KT3 is scheduled to arrive at approximately 2.10 pm (local time) with 254 pilgrims.

Among the pilgrims, Supiah Hussin, 70, shared her emotional journey upon arriving in Madinah. She expressed her gratitude for finally being chosen as a guest of Allah during this year’s haj season, recounting her 15-year journey of saving money from selling kuih to afford the pilgrimage.

During their six-day, five-night stay in Madinah before departing for Makkah, the pilgrims will participate in various programmes organised by TH, including visits to the Raudah at the Nabawi Mosque and exploring historical sites around the city of Al-Munawwarah.