Nurul Arifin Calls for Indonesia to Delay Umrah Departures Due to Houthi Risks

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Nurul Arifin, a member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Golkar Party, has called on the government to implement a moratorium or delay the departure of umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia due to ongoing security risks from Houthi attacks.

"If the situation worsens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can impose a moratorium on the departure of umrah pilgrims. We cannot predict when the Houthis will strike or where their attacks will occur," said Nurul at the Golkar Party's DPP office in West Jakarta on Monday (26/10/2026).

She emphasized that no one can predict when the Houthis might launch another attack on Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, their latest attacks nearly targeted Makkah and Madinah and could potentially escalate further.

"Let’s not let our pilgrims, whether they are going for umrah, face difficulties and be neglected during their worship," Nurul added.

Nevertheless, she stressed the need to assess whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is prepared to implement a moratorium.

She reminded that many travel agencies may have already prepared umrah trips well in advance.

"If not, what are the anticipations? For instance, can flights go directly to their destinations, such as Jeddah, and then to Makkah or directly to Madinah? There shouldn't be too many layovers, but rather a focus on direct routes," Nurul explained.

Houthi Missiles Still Targeting Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Intercepts

The Saudi Civil Defense Authority confirmed that it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Houthi forces toward the Makkah and Madinah regions on Saturday (24/10/2026).

In an official post on platform X, the civil defense authorities stated that necessary handling procedures had been carried out on the ground.

The missiles were intercepted while heading toward their targets, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi Civil Defense.

"Some of the missiles fell in Wadi Al-Mughammas, which is only 20 kilometers from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah—the holiest site in Islam," the statement read.

The spokesperson mentioned that debris from the interception also landed in the Al-Nuzha area of Jeddah, Wadi Jalil in Taif, and Masturah in the Rabigh governorate.

Reports indicate that there were no casualties from the debris falling.