US-Iran war disrupts Umrah plans, Nigerians lose millions

Hundreds of Nigerian Muslims preparing for this year’s Umrah pilgrimage have been stranded after the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran disrupted flight operations across the Middle East, forcing airlines to suspend services and leaving intending pilgrims and travel agents counting heavy financial losses.

 

Many of the affected pilgrims had already obtained visas and paid for flights and accommodation in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina before airlines began cancelling or suspending operations due to the intensifying war.

 

Several intending pilgrims stated that they were scheduled to depart Nigeria between March 4 and March 6 for the pilgrimage but were unable to travel after airlines halted flights across parts of the region.

 

Umrah, a lesser pilgrimage that Muslims can perform throughout the year, usually attracts large numbers of worshippers during the Ramadan fasting period, particularly in the final 10 days.

 

Records indicate that over 122 million Muslims performed Umrah during Ramadan in 2025, highlighting the scale of participation in the religious exercise.

 

However, the ongoing military confrontation between the US, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted air travel in the Middle East.

 

The conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets under an operation reportedly aimed at weakening Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone attacks on several locations across the region, including US military installations and allied facilities.

 

The exchange of attacks has forced several countries to close or restrict their airspace. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all announced partial or full airspace closures.

 

Major international airlines — including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air France, Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines — subsequently suspended or cancelled flights to several destinations in the region.

 

Umrah plans disrupted

 

The suspension of flights has left many Nigerian pilgrims unable to proceed with their travel plans despite having completed the necessary preparations.

 

One affected traveller in Ilorin, Kwara State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was among a group of four people — including a local government chairman and two other government officials — scheduled to travel on March 4 aboard an Emirates Airline flight.

 

According to him, they had already secured accommodation in Mecca and Medina before the sudden disruption.

 

He disclosed that each member of the group paid 12,500 Saudi riyals for accommodation at the Poinciana Hotel in Mecca for the duration of their stay, while additional arrangements had been made for lodging in Medina.

 

“It is a painful experience that we couldn’t proceed with the Umrah trip because of the war,” he said.

 

“We had paid for everything — visa fees, accommodation, flights and other expenses. There are four of us in the group that planned to go for the Umrah, including a local government chairman and two other government officials.”

 

The travellers said they are now awaiting further updates from airlines and travel agents regarding possible refunds or rescheduling options as the conflict continues to affect aviation operations across the Middle East.