Impact of War: Several Middle Eastern Students in Surabaya Confirmed Unable to Return Home for Eid 2026

Several Middle Eastern students studying in Surabaya are unable to return to their home countries for Eid 2026 following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has created instability across the region, with flight prices surging and commercial travel becoming increasingly unreliable.

Among the affected students is Khusay, a student of Computer Engineering at Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya (Umsura) from Yemen. He explained that he cannot return to Yemen due to uncertain security conditions and exorbitant flight ticket prices. “Throughout this period, war has broken out between Iran, Israel, and the United States. We cannot return to Yemen because flight tickets are extremely expensive, and there are no nearby flights to Yemen,” he said in Surabaya on Monday, 16 March.

Although Khusay’s extended family is based in Egypt and he could theoretically travel there, his mother has advised him to remain in Indonesia for safety reasons. “My family does not live in Yemen but in Egypt. However, my mother is currently in Yemen. She was in Yemen when the war began, so the situation is indeed difficult,” he explained.

Despite the option to travel via Egypt, Khusay has decided to remain in Indonesia during Eid 2026, a decision supported by his parents. “My parents told me to stay in Indonesia. I came here for one purpose—to study. So whatever the situation, I must remain focused on continuing my education,” he said.

Abdurrahman Khalid, another student from Yemen, has made a similar decision to cancel his plans to return home for Eid. Although Yemen is not directly engaged in conflict with the United States, Israel, or Iran, the regional instability has severely impacted the country’s security. “During this war period, tickets to my country have increased by three to four times their normal price. Not only Yemen—all major airports such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar are closed due to the conflict against Iran and obviously the conflict with Gulf nations,” he stated.

While Abdurrahman could travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to visit his extended family, he has chosen to remain in Indonesia given the unstable situation. He is currently pursuing studies in Mechanical Engineering at Umsura. “Right now I still have many classes, I cannot return home. In essence, there are many reasons why I am not going home—the war, expensive flight tickets, and short holiday duration,” he said.