Tens of Thousands of Indonesian Umrah Pilgrims Remain Stranded in Saudi Arabia Amid US-Iran Conflict

Tens of thousands of Indonesian Umrah pilgrims remain stranded in Saudi Arabia, and the public is urged to postpone Umrah departures for now due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

A member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission VIII, Selly Andriany Gantina of the PDI Perjuangan faction, said that initially 58,000 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia. Of that number, 6,000 have already returned to Indonesia.”However, according to the Integrated Hajj Computerisation System (Siskohat), the number of pilgrims remaining is 48,000. This indicates a data discrepancy.

“At the start it was 58,000. If 6,000 have been repatriated, it should be 52,000. So, where is the rest?” Selly said in Cirebon last night.

Selly suspects the discrepancy originates from independent Umrah pilgrims who did not report or who used foreign airlines with transit routes. “They may have used Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines or Philippine Airlines, with layovers in countries other than Indonesia, before arriving in Indonesia. This is something the Indonesian Immigration authorities must also document,” Selly said.

Therefore, Selly urged the government to consider independent Umrah pilgrims who may not be fully documented. Coordination with transit countries should be undertaken, especially if those countries are also affected by conflicts in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, regarding the pilgrimage (Haj) arrangements, Selly disclosed that preparations are ongoing. For the initial departure, it is scheduled for 21 April 2026. “But the final decision awaits certainty from the Government of Saudi Arabia,” he concluded.