Indonesian Pilgrim Dies Attempting Illegal Desert Route to Mecca for Hajj

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian citizen, identified by the initials SM, tragically died in the Jumum desert area of Saudi Arabia during the 2025 Hajj season. The cause of death was severe dehydration, sustained while attempting to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca via an unauthorized desert route.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah reported that SM became stranded in the desert along with two other Indonesian citizens, identified as J and S. "All three were determined to enter Mecca without official procedures," said Yusron Ambary, the Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah, in a written statement on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Yusron explained that SM and the two other individuals held multiple pilgrimage visas. While these visas allow multiple visits to Saudi Arabia within a specific period, they are not valid for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Prior to this incident, according to Yusron, SM and 10 other Indonesian citizens had been apprehended during a security raid in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season and subsequently sent back to Jeddah. However, SM, J, and S still attempted to return to Mecca through unofficial routes.

The three individuals used a clandestine taxi service and were promised re-entry into Mecca via an illegal route. However, the driver, fearing apprehension by patrols, forced SM, J, and S to alight in the middle of the desert, where extreme temperatures posed a serious threat. The taxi driver's actions in smuggling them ultimately led to SM's death.

They were later discovered in the middle of the desert by a local security drone. Upon identification, SM was already deceased. "Meanwhile, the other two individuals were then hospitalized," Yusron added.

Currently, SM's body remains in a Mecca hospital for the visa process. The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah has coordinated with SM's family in Madura and is preparing for the burial.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah urges all Indonesian citizens not to be tempted by invitations to perform Hajj through non-procedural means. Performing Hajj via illegal routes can endanger lives and violate the law. "Do not risk losing lives and failing to perform Hajj just because of forcing it," Yusron advised.

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