The brutal and fatal attacks by Israel and the United States against\nIran on Saturday 28 February shook the world.<\/p>\n
The Alliance of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Organisers (Asphirasi) has\nstated that there has been no official decision to delay umrah pilgrim\ndepartures announced by the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah\nfollowing the Middle East conflict involving Iran, the United States and\nIsrael.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsphirasi certainly has an interest in this matter. However, the\ndiscussion about postponement remains unclear, given the geopolitical\nsituation in the Middle East region that creates serious uncertainty for\nUmrah Travel Organisers (PPIU) and pilgrims,\u201d affirmed Asphirasi\nSecretary General Reno Anugrah Andriyani to journalists in Solo on\nMonday 2 March 2026.<\/p>\n
According to her, to date all direct flights to Saudi Arabia such as\nGaruda Indonesia, Lion Air, and Saudia Airlines are still operating\nnormally and according to schedule.<\/p>\n
She clarified that to date all direct flight airlines remain on\nschedule and continue to depart. Some PPIUs are still sending pilgrims\nbecause aircraft are still flying, visas have already been issued,\nhotels are available, and there is no official flight restriction to\nSaudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed, these direct flight routes do not pass through conflict\nzones,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Significantly, Reno noted, Asphirasi has recorded a major impact on\ntransit flights, which has caused substantial losses for PPIUs and\ncreated uncertainty for pilgrims.<\/p>\n
She explained that there are currently pilgrims still in Saudi Arabia\nfacing difficulties in returning because the transit airlines they are\nusing have cancelled their flights.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the other hand, there are also pilgrims whose complete\npreparations such as visas, hotels, and handling are ready, but they\ncannot depart because transit tickets such as Qatar Airways, Emirates,\nEtihad, Scoot, and other transit airlines are experiencing flight\ncancellations and suspensions,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The owner of the Hajar Aswad Mubaroq umrah bureau stressed the\nimportance of clarity on concrete steps from the Indonesian Ministry of\nHajj and Umrah if postponement decisions are indeed taken, to prevent\ncausing even greater waves of losses.<\/p>\n
Asphirasi is calling for clear and measurable mitigation policies if\npostponement is decided by the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and\nUmrah.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course there should be policies for visa cancellation or\nrescheduling without penalties, refunds or rescheduling of hotels and\ntransport, as well as relaxation of Mashaaer, Masar, and Nusuk\nservices,\u201d Reno emphasised once more.<\/p>\n
She stressed that the current situation qualifies as force majeure,\nbut in practice travel insurance does not cover geopolitical risks, so\npotential losses lie entirely with PPIUs.<\/p>\n
The current situation, she observed, is different from the COVID-19\npandemic period, when closure was directly carried out by the Saudi\nArabian government, allowing for special policies and contract\nrelaxation.<\/p>\n
She stated that Saudi Arabia has not closed umrah and direct flights\ncontinue to operate. However, the discussion about postponement is\ncoming from within the country. Therefore, according to her, there is a\nneed for a fair protection scheme for PPIUs and pilgrims.<\/p>\n
Because of this, Asphirasi has requested that the government be\npresent and ensure comprehensive protection for Indonesian pilgrims,\nboth those currently in Saudi Arabia and those prevented from departing\ndue to transit flight cancellations.<\/p>\n
The Head of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Office in Purwakarta\nRegency, Syamsi Mufti, urged umrah pilgrims to be cautious and maintain\nconducive conditions.<\/p>\n
Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission VIII,\nMaman Imanul Haq, has asked the government through the Indonesian\nEmbassy in the Middle East region to immediately take emergency\nmeasures.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/umrah-disrupted-by-middle-east-conflict-escalation-asphirasi-calls-for-firm-government-stance-1772434871", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }