Indonesia tells pilgrims to avoid transiting in Singapore, Malaysia

Indonesian officials are advising pilgrims to bypass Singapore and Malaysia for layovers during their journey to Saudi Arabia for the umrah pilgrimage, in an effort to stimulate the Indonesian economy. Deputy Haj Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak revealed that approximately 70,000 Indonesian pilgrims typically make a stopover in these two countries when using foreign airlines.

The Jakarta Globe reported that Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, hosts around two million umrah pilgrims each year. Simanjuntak emphasized that if Indonesian airlines could secure these 70,000 transiting passengers, it would significantly benefit the national economy. However, he conceded that achieving this would necessitate improvements in service quality and competitive pricing from national carrier Garuda Indonesia and the privately-owned Lion Group airlines.

This recommendation followed Indonesia's decision to curtail natural gas exports to Singapore, as President Prabowo Subianto aims to bolster domestic energy supplies and enhance energy security for Southeast Asia's leading economy.