Iran-Israel War: Zurich Receives Umrah Insurance Claims
The Chief Executive of PT Zurich General Takaful Indonesia (Zurich Syariah), Hilman Simanjuntak, has stated that the company is beginning to receive travel insurance claims from Indonesian pilgrims affected by the Iran-Israel war. “On the claims side, we have already received several reports from our customers impacted by the events in the Middle East,” Hilman said, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
He explained that the primary reason for claims is customers cancelling their umrah pilgrimage plans due to deteriorating security conditions. Travel warnings against visiting the region have prompted many pilgrims to reschedule or cancel their plans to worship in the Holy Land.
However, he was unable to provide a detailed breakdown of the number of claims received so far, as the company is still in the data collection process and claims are expected to increase further as the Middle East conflict escalates.
To anticipate a potential surge in claims and demonstrate commitment to assisting customers during the emergency situation, Hilman has requested that claims response times be accelerated. “Of course, the claims process will proceed in accordance with the applicable policy provisions, and our claims team always responds quickly, especially in situations like this,” he said.
Regarding the war’s impact on the company’s business, he noted potential declines in demand for travel insurance products. “I am fairly confident that some pilgrims will feel this is not the time to undertake umrah travel. That is quite reasonable. So there may be some slight impact on demand. It is possible, but we cannot assess this yet,” Hilman said.
Meanwhile, Nailul Huda, a researcher from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), believes the war involving the United States could drive increased demand for marine cargo insurance to manage the significant risks in logistics shipping processes.
He stated that the critical situation in international waters, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz which is the primary route for global oil shipments, requires many shipping companies to strengthen their cargo protection.
Furthermore, he highlighted that current geopolitical tensions and global economic shocks can also drive increased medical inflation, caused by surging prices for medicines and medical equipment largely imported from abroad, resulting in imported inflation.
He advised the public to obtain health insurance to mitigate the impact of such economic uncertainty. “People with high awareness will maximise the benefits of their insurance products due to this uncertainty,” Nailul said.