Minister: 2026 Hajj Departure Remains on Schedule Despite Iran War

March 11, 2026 | 11:15 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, spoke about the likelihood of 2026 Hajj being canceled amid the escalating war between Iran and the US and its ally Israel.

He stated that the ministry will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East, including considering various recommendations from other ministries, one of which is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"(For) today, it remains on schedule; there have been no changes. Hopefully it will continue as planned," said Irfan at the parliament complex on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

He mentioned that preparations for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage are still proceeding according to plan, including the communication and coordination with the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"As of today, we assume everything is going well, the situation there will also improve," he said.

Furthermore, in a working meeting with the House Commission VIII, Irfan said that his ministry has prepared several scenarios for the implementation of this year's Hajj pilgrimage.

As scheduled, the departure of the Hajj pilgrims for this year is set to begin on April 22.

The first scenario involves sending the Hajj pilgrims to the Holy Land despite the high risks, considering that the Saudi authorities still allow the Hajj pilgrimage to take place.

In this scenario, he said, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will mitigate it by seeking alternative routes from Indonesia to the Holy Land.

"Diverting flight routes away from the conflict zone in the Middle East or entering through East African airspace, or other safe routes," Irfan said.

However, he mentioned that changing flight routes as a mitigation measure could potentially lead to longer travel times. "This will certainly result in additional expenses," Irfan said.

The second scenario is that Indonesia cancels the departure of its Hajj pilgrims, even if the Saudi authorities continue to open the pilgrimage this year. Irfan said this scenario could be considered by taking the security risks to Indonesian Hajj pilgrims into account.

"With this scenario, diplomatic efforts need to be made by conducting high-level negotiations with the Saudi government," he said.

Irfan stated that this diplomacy is necessary to ensure that funds already deposited for accommodations, meals, and transportation for the Hajj pilgrimage are not lost, but can be used for the next year's Hajj pilgrimage.

The last scenario involves the Saudi government closing the Hajj pilgrimage in 2026, and Indonesia cancelling the departure of the Hajj pilgrims. According to him, this could happen if the situation due to the Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict becomes uncontrollable.

Furthermore, if this option is implemented, the government will cease all processes related to providing accommodation, food, transportation, pilgrimage guidance, and visas for pilgrims.

"Then, prioritize the departure of next year for the Hajj pilgrims who have fully paid the BPIH (Hajj Cost) that has been included in the departure allocation," he said.

Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this article

Read: Indonesia May Delay 2026 Hajj if Middle East War Threatens Pilgrim Safety

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