25 Balinese Umrah Pilgrims Proceed to Saudi Arabia Despite Middle East Tensions

Amid a central government advisory to postpone umrah departures due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, 25 pilgrims from Bali are confirmed to depart for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

The confirmation was announced by the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kanwil Kemenag Bali). As of Monday, 2 March 2026, no official notification regarding postponement of the departure had been received.

“There is a departure on the third, but there is no information about postponement,” said Mahmudi, Head of Umrah and Hajj at Kanwil Kemenag Bali, on Monday, 2 March 2026.

Mahmudi emphasised that his office had not received any report or instruction to postpone the departure due to geopolitical developments in the region.

“So far there has been no notification of postponement. There has been no report,” he stressed.

Beyond the departure schedule, the return of umrah pilgrims from Saudi Arabia is also proceeding as planned. They are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.

Previously, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) had advised Indonesian citizens to temporarily postpone umrah worship for safety reasons.

“We wish to appeal to all umrah pilgrims who intend to depart in the near future to postpone their departure temporarily until stability is truly restored in the Middle East,” said Indonesian Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, in an Instagram post from Kemenhaj on Sunday, 1 March.