Singaporeans advised to heed MFA travel advisory, defer umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has advised Singaporeans to take heed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) travel advisory issued on Tuesday (Oct 13) night, and to defer plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform their umrah pilgrimage.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, MUIS sought the community's understanding in taking the necessary safety precautions and consider postponing their journey while the security risk remains heightened.

"We understand how much an Umrah journey means to our pilgrims and their families. For many, it is a deeply personal journey of faith, one they have looked forward to, saved for and prepared for some time," said MUIS.

Since last week, airports in Riyadh, Abha, Dammam, Khamis Mushait, Najran and Jizan have been hit, while Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) has been attacked repeatedly , resulting in the suspension of airport operations , flight diversions, and increasingly frequent airspace shutdowns.

More recently, on late Tuesday, an administrative building belonging to Saudi Arabia's state-owned company Saudi Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran was attacked, causing a limited fire.

MUIS said it is now engaging umrah travel agents to encourage them to assist pilgrims with clear information and, where possible, flexible arrangements for postponement or rescheduling.

It also urged operators to handle cases with care, fairness and understanding, noting that pilgrims may face financial implications through no fault of their own.

Meanwhile, those already in Saudi Arabia should follow the advice of local authorities and MFA. They are also advised to stay in touch with their travel operators and airlines, and to eRegister with the ministry to facilitate timely consular assistance.

MUIS said it will continue to monitor developments closely and coordinate with the relevant government agencies to provide updates where necessary.

"We appreciate the community's patience and understanding, and encourage pilgrims and their families to remain guided by official advisories as the situation evolves," it added.

新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）建议新加坡人听从外交部（MFA）周二（10月13日）晚间发布的旅行建议，推迟前往沙特阿拉伯进行副朝的计划。

新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）周三上午发表声明，请求社区理解采取必要的安全预防措施，并建议在安全风险仍然较高的情况下考虑推迟行程。

“我们理解副朝之旅对朝圣者及其家人意义重大。对许多人来说，这是一次意义深远的个人信仰之旅，他们为此期待已久，积蓄已久，并为此做了充分的准备，”伊斯兰宣教协会表示。

自上周以来，利雅得、艾卜哈、达曼、海米斯穆沙伊特、纳季兰和吉赞的机场遭到袭击，而利雅得的哈立德国王国际机场（KKIA）则屡遭袭击，导致机场运营暂停、航班改道以及空域关闭日益频繁。

最近，周二晚些时候，沙特阿拉伯国有企业沙特阿美公司位于东部城市达兰的一栋行政大楼遭到袭击，引发了小规模火灾。

伊斯兰宗教理事会表示，目前正在与朝觐旅行社接洽，鼓励他们为朝圣者提供清晰的信息，并在可能的情况下提供灵活的延期或改期安排。

报告还敦促运营商谨慎、公平、体谅地处理案件，并指出朝圣者可能面临并非自身过错的经济损失。

与此同时，已在沙特阿拉伯境内的旅客应遵循当地政府和外交部的建议。他们还应与旅行社和航空公司保持联系，并在外交部进行电子登记，以便及时获得领事协助。

新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）表示，将继续密切关注事态发展，并与相关政府机构协调，在必要时提供最新消息。

声明还表示：“我们感谢社区的耐心和理解，并鼓励朝圣者及其家人随着形势的发展继续遵循官方建议。”