Ministry of Hajj: 2,500 West Sumatra Umrah Pilgrims Stranded Returning Home

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) in West Sumatra (Sumbar) estimates that approximately 2,500 umrah pilgrims from the province remain stranded and unable to return home following escalating tensions in the Middle East region.

Acting Head of the West Sumatra Regional Office of Kemenhaj, M. Rifki, stated in Padang on Monday: “We estimate approximately 2,500 umrah pilgrims from West Sumatra are affected, as around 1,000 pilgrims were typically dispatched weekly.”

Rifki made the statement in response to the conflict in the Middle East, which has directly impacted the return and departure of umrah pilgrims from Indonesia, particularly from the Minangkabau region.

“We estimate that between 2,500 and 3,000 umrah pilgrims from West Sumatra may currently be in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

According to data provided by Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, approximately 58,000 Indonesian umrah pilgrims remain stranded in Makkah and Madinah, awaiting confirmation of their return to Indonesia.

“Starting today, no further umrah aircraft have been dispatched to the Holy Land, given the escalating political and security situation in the Middle East,” Rifki stated.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has urged prospective umrah pilgrims scheduled to depart to the Holy Land in the near future to postpone their journeys, given the increasingly dynamic and uncertain security situation in the Middle East region.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak emphasised that this advisory represents the government’s precaution in ensuring the safety of its citizens.