Foreign Ministry Requests Airlines Carrying Hajj Pilgrims to Avoid Conflict Zones

JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has requested that airlines carrying prospective Hajj pilgrims refrain from crossing conflict zones. Heni Hamidah, Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at Kemlu, stated that airlines could fly directly to Saudi Arabia. “For travel agents and Hajj organisers, flights should avoid conflict areas if possible. Previously, some went directly to Jeddah or other parts of Saudi Arabia,” Heni said at the Kemlu office in Jakarta on Thursday (16/4/2026). She also assured that the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage for Indonesian pilgrims would proceed as scheduled despite the Middle East conflict. Earlier, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf stated that preparations for the 2026 Hajj services are increasingly mature, nearly 100 percent complete. Irfan noted that the government has prepared everything, from accommodation and meals to transportation and health services for the pilgrims. “Hajj service preparations are nearly 100 percent complete. The current stage is the final check of all services ahead of Hajj operations,” Irfan said during a press conference at the Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/4/2026). Regarding accommodation, Irfan explained that the government has prepared 177 hotels in Mecca and 100 hotels in Medina. In the Mecca area, the accommodations are located in Jarwal, Misfalah, Raudhah, Syisyah, and Aziziah. Additionally, he said health services are ready, with the government preparing 40 clinics in Mecca and 5 clinics in Medina. “Each kloter consists of one doctor and one health worker,” he stated. For these health services, the government is collaborating with one of Saudi Arabia’s major hospitals, namely Saudi German Hospital.