Government Urges Public to Delay Umrah Pilgrimage Amid Middle East Conflict

The Indonesian government has advised the public to temporarily postpone their umrah pilgrimage departure following an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

This advisory was announced by Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak following his attendance at the 1448 Hijriyah/2026 Gregorian calendar Nuzulul Quran commemoration ceremony held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

“Currently, regarding umrah departures, we are issuing an advisory to delay departure due to the escalation of the conflict. We do not know how the situation will develop,” he stated.

According to Dahnil, the advisory is a mitigation measure designed to ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens intending to travel to the Holy Land.

Dahnil explained that the postponement advisory resulted from coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which continues to monitor security developments in the region.

He noted that the current conflict dynamics remain highly volatile, necessitating mitigation measures.

“The state’s priority is obviously the safety of our citizens, as we cannot predict how the escalation of the Middle East conflict will unfold,” he said.

Separately, the government continues to support Indonesian umrah pilgrims currently in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and umrah pilgrimage operators, has been tasked with ensuring pilgrims receive support until they can safely return to Indonesia.

According to the latest data, approximately 43,000 Indonesian umrah pilgrims are currently performing pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The government has emphasised its continued coordination with airlines and relevant parties to ensure the safe return of pilgrims.

The government has also recorded a decline in the number of pilgrims departing for umrah following the postponement advisory.

Dahnil assessed this decline as demonstrating public caution in considering safety factors amid the ongoing conflict developments in the Middle East region.