Malaysians advised to postpone umrah trips amid security concerns

 Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan says pilgrims should defer non-essential travel for the time being following the Riyadh missile attack.

The foreign ministry said no Malaysians had been killed or injured in Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysians are advised to temporarily postpone travel to Saudi Arabia for umrah following security concerns after the deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, says foreign minister Mohamad Hasan.

Mohamad said while there had been no incident in Mecca, the missile attack in Riyadh had prompted the government to advise Malaysians to defer non-essential travel to Mecca and Medina for the time being.

“There has been no incident in Mecca, but the missile explosion in Riyadh has raised security concerns,” Bernama quoted him as saying after attending the departure of Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Bunga Raya Complex in Sepang today.

Yesterday, the foreign ministry reported that no Malaysians had been killed or injured in Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh or the incident involving a projectile that fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and injured 309 others.

The fatalities comprised four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. - FMT