Firdaus, a Jakarta-based Hajj pilgrim who went missing in Mecca, found dead

The Jakarta-based Hajj pilgrim Mohamad Firdaus (72), who had gone missing in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has been found dead. This was announced by Moh Hasan Afandi, head of the Public Relations Bureau at the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. ‘Mr. Firdaus has been found dead. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,’ he said at a press conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, 22 May 2026, according to Antara.

The Indonesian Hajj Supervisory Committee (PPIH) in Saudi Arabia expressed condolences for Firdaus’s death, he added. He thanked the family of the deceased, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Jeddah, Saudi authorities, Saudi hospitals, and the Hajj officials who conducted the search. ‘We also thank Indonesians who prayed for us during the search process,’ he said.

The government has said it will honour the deceased’s rights through a Hajj substitute (badal haji). ‘The Hajj substitute will be carried out by Hajj officials,’ he stated.

He urged all parties to look out for one another. If a pilgrim is seen walking alone and appears confused or exhausted, they should be approached and helped, particularly the elderly, women, and those with disabilities.

Earlier, Firdaus had disappeared after leaving his accommodation in Mecca on 15 May 2026. CCTV footage showed him leaving wearing a white T-shirt and a black sarong. It was suspected that the hotel was quiet at the time as other pilgrims had already gone to perform Friday prayers.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia received Firdaus’s disappearance report via the Kawal Haji app on 16 May 2026. Searches were conducted around the hotel, at Masjid al-Haram, and at hospitals in Mecca and surrounding areas.