No Disruptions To Most Umrah Flights, Agencies Closely Monitoring Situation In Riyadh

By Nor Azeera Adam

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Local umrah travel agencies are closely monitoring the security situation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and flight schedules to Jeddah and Madinah to ensure the safety of Malaysian pilgrims.

Dai Aiman Travel Sdn Bhd founder Aiman Sufyan Aezman said the agency had contacted AirAsia and was informed that flight schedules remained unchanged so far.

“The agency will await instructions from the Malaysian government, Saudi security authorities and airlines before taking further action.

“If instructed to remain in place and not travel anywhere, we will follow the directive,” he told Bernama today.

Aiman advised pilgrims not to panic or rely on information circulating on social media, urging them instead to obtain updates from official channels.

Meanwhile, Al Hijjrah Vacation Sdn Bhd managing director Mohd Azri Abd Razak said Saudi Airlines flights had not been cancelled, while other carriers were operating as usual.

However, he noted that certain airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, had postponed flights following recent developments in the region.

“We are avoiding travel to conflict areas to minimise safety risks to pilgrims,” he said.

Mohd Azri advised prospective pilgrims to obtain the latest updates from their respective agencies and consider security developments before making travel plans.

Kembara Fitrah Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd managing director Major (Rtd) Zainuddin Mahram said flight schedules for his agency’s pilgrims to Jeddah and Madinah remained on track and had not been deferred.

“The agency provides regular updates to pilgrims while obtaining the latest information from the Malaysian Consulate in Saudi Arabia regarding the security situation there,” he said.

Zainuddin said conditions in Makkah and Madinah were reported to be calm, noting that the incident of concern occurred in Riyadh, far from both holy cities.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan advised Malaysians to temporarily defer travel to Saudi Arabia for the umrah pilgrimage following security risks arising from the incident.

-- BERNAMA