Parliament Says There Are No Umrah Pilgrims Left Stranded in Saudi Arabia

Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, said there were no longer Umrah pilgrims who were still stranded in Saudi Arabia or in transit countries as a result of the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region. According to Marwan, several airlines have begun resuming flights after being held up at the outset of the US-Israel attack on Iran in late February. ‘There aren’t any now. They have the courage to fly again,’ Marwan said at the parliamentary complex on Friday (6 March). He also confirmed that some pilgrims were already flying again from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia. Although the government had issued advisories, the final decision rests with the pilgrims and the organisers. Besides, several airlines have begun to resume services, such as Lion, Garuda, and Saudia. ‘Because they are flying every day, the escalation cannot be predicted; the government should take the next steps,’ he said. Therefore, Marwan believes the government should issue a new directive for pilgrims who are compelled to undertake Umrah. ‘Hopefully, the government will issue a new directive in addition to the previous one which advised not to depart; in reality they did depart. If they have departed, what steps should be taken?’ Marwan said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah noted that 14,796 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims who were held up in Saudi Arabia had now returned home. Hajj Technical Staff at the Jeddah Hajj Affairs Office, M. Ilham Effendy, said the number accumulated since tensions escalated in Arab countries from 28 February to 5 March. ‘Cumulatively, the number of Indonesian Umrah pilgrims who have been observed returning home reached 14,796 people from 28 February 2026 to 5 March 2026,’ Ilham said in a statement on Friday (6 March).

Most recently, Ilham said they had just assisted 2,735 pilgrims returning to Indonesia. He noted that all monitored flights on Thursday (5 March) were reported to have departed according to schedule. In addition to pilgrims returning home, the ministry also noted that 352 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims arrived and were monitored by airport officers on the same day. It was also recorded that 158 Umrah pilgrims remained stranded in the process of returning home, currently in two locations, Jeddah and Makkah, awaiting rescheduling according to airline and tour operator arrangements. Ilham urged pilgrims still stranded to continue coordinating with various parties. He affirmed that pilgrims would continue to receive government support and services until they can safely return to the country. ‘We ensure all pilgrims continue to receive support and the services needed until they can return home safely,’ Ilham said.