Indonesia’ government prepares contingencies for haj amid war in Iran

The peak of the 2026 haj pilgrimage is expected to fall in May. Read more at straitstimes.com.

JAKARTA - The government is preparing contingency plans to ensure the safety of Indonesian pilgrims during this year’s haj season as the ongoing United States-Israeli war against Iran escalates with little sign of it subsiding.

The peak of the 2026 haj pilgrimage is expected to fall in May, with Indonesian pilgrims scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia starting on April 22.

But doubts have been raised as to whether pilgrims can travel to Saudi Arabia for the haj this year, as the region is seeing an escalation of armed conflict. Saudi Arabia is among countries affected by the US-Israel War on Iran, as US bases located in the country and other Gulf nations have been targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes.

At a meeting with House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs on March 11, Haj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf told lawmakers that the government had prepared several plans to address different scenarios surrounding the haj.

“The primary principle behind these scenarios is to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims as the highest priority,” he said in the meeting.

In the first scenario, where pilgrims are still able to travel, flights carrying Indonesian travelers would be rerouted through the southern corridor over the Indian Ocean and entering Saudi Arabia after flying through eastern African airspace to avoid areas affected by the ongoing conflict.