Syakira Travel Umrah Failure Leaves 175 Indonesian Pilgrims Stranded

Around 175 Indonesian pilgrims gathered at the Syakira Travel office in Banjarmasin demanding explanations after the travel agency failed to dispatch them for the scheduled umrah pilgrimage. H. Saridi, chair of the Forum Penyelenggara Travel Umrah dan Haji Khusus Kalimantan Selatan (FK PATUH), mediated the dispute, preventing the situation from escalating. He attributed the failure to mismanagement caused by the agency’s sale of ultra‑cheap packages despite sharply rising ticket and hotel costs.

Syakira Travel has declared it cannot transport the pilgrims and has handed the matter over to authorities. Meanwhile, 38 pilgrims from South Kalimantan remain stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has opened an investigation into the travel organizer, identified as PPIU "S," and is coordinating with the Indonesian consulate in Jeddah. Director General Harun Al Rasyid stressed that the organizer is fully responsible for departure, accommodation, transport, and repatriation, and that the rights of the pilgrims will be protected. No concrete resolution has been announced yet.