Makkah: The first group of Malaysian Haj pilgrims was filled with excitement and emotion as they arrived here after spending six days in Madinah. A total of 260 pilgrims from group KT01 arrived at 4.30 pm local time on Thursday. They are staying at the Abraj Al Tayseer Hotel, which also serves as the operational headquarters of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) in Makkah. Their arrival was welcomed by Malaysia's Consul-General in Jeddah, Tengku Mohd Dzaraif Raja Abdul Kadir, together with head of the 1447H/2026 Haj Delegation Mohd Hisham Harun, as well as TH personnel.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the pilgrims are scheduled to perform the obligatory umrah in stages starting from 9 pm on Thursday at Masjidil Haram. Overall, a total of 841 pilgrims from the first three groups will be in Makkah on Thursday, with group KT02 involving 260 pilgrims arriving at 5.30 pm. The pilgrims are housed at three locations, namely Al Tayseer (260 pilgrims), Al Kiswah (326) and Al Qasr (255).

The journey to Makkah marks a significant moment for the pilgrims as they begin their umrah rituals ahead of performing the Haj. The 1447H/2026M Haj Operations officially began on April 18, with 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims departing in stages to Madinah and Makkah via AMAL's 100 chartered flights operated by Malaysia Airlines and Saudia.