Jakarta, Indonesia– the Travel chaos of war In the Middle East, many Muslims who gathered in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah were trapped, leaving them stranded and scrambling to find other ways to return home. Others had to cancel their planned visits altogether.
For some who performed religious rituals, the war ravaging the region cast a shadow over their experience of visiting the kingdom’s holy sites.
As of Thursday, more than 58,860 Indonesian pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia, according to Indonesian Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnel Anzar Simanjuntak.
He added that the government is negotiating with the Saudi authorities and airlines to reduce the financial burden of hotel and flight costs on the stranded pilgrims. He said the government is also urging about 60,000 others to postpone Umrah trips until April for safety reasons.
Ministry spokesman Ihsan Marsha described the matter as an “urgent humanitarian and logistical issue.”
Zanira Faris, a pilgrim stranded in Saudi Arabia, told Indonesian channel iNews TV that her return flight was canceled and she was rescheduled to another flight scheduled for March 12.
She urged the Indonesian government to help stranded pilgrims, especially those who cannot afford the additional costs that come with such delays.
“Not everyone can book additional hotel stays,” she said, adding that there is an emotional impact as well. “I’m disappointed because my children were waiting for me.”
Hundreds of thousands of people from Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, travel to Saudi Arabia annually to perform Umrah, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Other than HajjHajj can be performed all year round.
About 1,600 Malaysian pilgrims are stranded in Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Dzrif Raja Abdul Qadir, the Malaysian Consul General in Jeddah, said on Tuesday. The national news agency Bernama quoted him as saying that the pilgrims were in good condition.
He added that his office opened a 24-hour operations room to monitor the situation and provide assistance to affected citizens.
Malaysia Airlines announced the temporary resumption of return services from Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia until Sunday.
Separately, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said it was working with diplomatic missions, regional governments and airlines to evacuate its stranded citizens, including pilgrims.
Outside the Middle East, airports in the Gulf act as vital hubs connecting passengers heading to Europe, Africa and Asia.
Majed Khalif, a 44-year-old Egyptian, was supposed to return to his home country of Kuwait from Saudi Arabia on February 28, the day the war began, but his flight was canceled and rescheduled for several days afterward.
He said it was a sudden change from the positive mood and spirituality he had been immersed in during the Umrah, adding: “It was a very difficult feeling.”
Stranded with his wife and mother-in-law, Khalif sought ways to return to Kuwait, where his children are located. He felt the situation was escalating when he heard from people in Kuwait the sound of sirens and explosions She was heard there.
“Everyone felt afraid,” Khalif said.
He decided to return by land and arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday for an emotional meeting.
“Once you have your children in front of your eyes and in your arms, whatever happens next doesn’t matter as long as you’re together,” he said.
In Michigan, 47-year-old Javed Khizer said that he had canceled Umrah travel for him and his family to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Türkiye and Qatar.
“We were watching the news and everything. We couldn’t help but understand that the situation was getting worse,” he said. “It was a difficult decision… Who knows whether I will be there next Ramadan or not? This is not guaranteed.”
For practicing Muslims, Ramadan It is a time for increased worship and daily fasting from dawn to sunset.
Umrah is often referred to as a smaller Hajj and can be performed throughout the year, unlike the annual Hajj. Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is able and physically able to perform it.
“We consider coming to the Holy Land as a call from God, and during the holy month of Ramadan, I think it is highly recommended to come and visit if you can,” said Haj Majid Mughal, 52, who is visiting Saudi Arabia with his family from the United States.
However, if he had known that war would break out, he would have called it off. He added that Mughal and his family learned of the strikes while crossing into Saudi Arabia, and some passengers were stranded on other roads at the airport, but his flight went normally.
He said during his visit, “So far everything is fine, thank God. There are no problems here.” “There are a lot of people during Ramadan. I see security as usual,” he said, adding: “We feel safe.”
Mughal said the family was trying to focus on religious rituals, as well as fasting, prayer and bonding, but it was also difficult to be separated from the news and they had to reassure those back home that they were okay.
Then there is the worry about their travel home.
“We check flight details and departure details on an almost daily basis just to make sure the flights are still operating,” he said, noting that his children have to go back to school and he has to go back to work.
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Pham reported from Cairo and Ng from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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