SEPANG: Three travel agencies have merged under a single consortium known as One Umrah to facilitate the repatriation of umrah pilgrims who were stran­ded following the closure of airspace in the Middle East due to the United States-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Safarbuddies Travel and Services Sdn Bhd director Mohd Fadzrull Bakri said the consor­tium comprised Safarbuddies Travel and Services, UHR Travel, and Jawahir Travel and Tours with each playing a specific role in pilgrim management. He explained that Safarbuddies was responsible for operations, including on-ground management in Saudi Arabia and flight bookings, while Jawahir focused on marketing and UHR Travel provided guidance and briefings to the pilgrims. “From early morning, we star­ted looking for replacement flights, trying to fit pilgrims into any available slots. A total of 25 pilgrims accompanied by a mutawif (guide) arrived safely at KLIA Terminal 1 at 10.09pm on Friday night via Emirates flight EK342 after being stranded since Feb 28.

Source: The Star March 08, 2026 09:35 UTC