Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia \u2013 The geopolitical conflict in the Middle\nEast region, which has led to restrictions and suspensions of several\ninternational flights, has caused many Indonesian Umrah pilgrims to be\nstranded and unable to return home as scheduled.<\/p>\n
In response, Anggawira, Secretary General of the BPP HIPMI, expressed\nconcern and asked the government to take steps that are more concrete\nand proactive.<\/p>\n
\u2018We have not yet seen steps that are truly concrete and proactive to\naddress the situation. If not addressed quickly and in a timely and\ncoordinated manner, the number of stranded pilgrims will continue to\nrise and the costs borne will also swell,\u2019 Anggawira said in a written\nstatement on Thursday (5 March 2026).<\/p>\n
According to reports from Umrah travel organisers and pilgrim\ncommunities, around 54 thousand Indonesian Umrah pilgrims are currently\nin the Holy Sites of Mecca and Medina and potentially affected by flight\ndisruptions due to the escalation of the conflict in the region.<\/p>\n
Anggawira noted that the situation is made more difficult because it\noccurs during Ramadan, when hotel occupancy in Mecca and Medina rises\nsignificantly, and accommodation prices are higher than in normal\nmonths.<\/p>\n
\u2018If the delays in repatriation persist for long, additional costs for\nhotels, meals, and pilgrims\u2019 needs will clearly keep rising. In such a\nsituation the entire burden of the extra costs should not be borne by\nthe pilgrims themselves,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
He added that HIPMI is also highlighting the spike in air ticket\nprices in the last few days. Referring to a ticket booking app, one-way\nJeddah\u2013Jakarta economy class tickets on Garuda Indonesia, which normally\nrange around Rp7-8 million, have risen on some schedules to around\nRp18-20 million per ticket.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the price surge could burden pilgrims if there is no\nimmediate government regulation and oversight.<\/p>\n
HIPMI urged the government to quickly coordinate with national\ncarriers such as Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, and Batik Air to assist by\nadding flight schedules or providing extra flights to speed up the\nrepatriation of stranded pilgrims.<\/p>\n
In addition, the government should set price caps in emergency\nconditions and strengthen supervision to prevent pricing practices that\nharm pilgrims.<\/p>\n
Moreover, HIPMI regards this incident as an important lesson in the\ngovernance of Umrah pilgrimage travel going forward. There must be a\nstronger protection scheme, including travel insurance components that\ncan cover force majeure such as geopolitical conflicts, airspace\nclosures, or disruptions to international flight operations.<\/p>\n
\u2018Indonesia is a country with the largest number of Umrah pilgrims in\nthe world, with more than 1.5 million pilgrims each year. Therefore\ncrisis-mitigation mechanisms for pilgrims must be prepared more\nthoroughly so that in emergencies the country can provide maximum\nprotection,\u2019 he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/umrah-pilgrims-stranded-due-to-conflict-hipmi-urges-government-to-act-1772726840", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }