Major efforts on to bring back Indian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia; airlines, tour operators roped in

Around 3,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia have returned home on available flights over the past week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on October 22.

Indian missions are working with airlines and tour operators to bring back others affected by the regional security situation, PTI reported citing information from the govt.

The update follows an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam that killed one Indian national and injured two others.


MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah were coordinating with airlines and tour operators to arrange the early return of the remaining pilgrims. Officials are discussing additional arrangements to facilitate their travel at the earliest, he said.

The 3,000 pilgrims who have returned are in addition to more than 10,000 regular Umrah pilgrims who had booked available flights and travelled back to India over the same week, Jaiswal said.

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The Indian missions, assisted by community volunteers, are also providing welfare support to affected nationals. Round-the-clock control rooms have been set up in Riyadh and Jeddah, while advisories are being issued regularly, the spokesperson said.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier urged the Centre to intervene, saying around 4,000 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Makkah and Madina after airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabian cities amid the regional security situation.

In posts on X, Owaisi called for urgent assistance, alleging that travel agents had abandoned the pilgrims. He tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, seeking their intervention.

He also tagged three airlines and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), asking the aviation regulator to allow airlines to deploy larger aircraft to bring the pilgrims back. If that was not possible, he called for dedicated flights to be arranged for their return.

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Control room contacts for Indian nationals

The MEA has shared the contact details of the round-the-clock assistance facilities operated by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah.

Embassy of India, Riyadh

Telephone: +966-554412016; +966-542126784

Toll-free: 8002471234 (calls from within Saudi Arabia only)

WhatsApp: +966-536216082 (messages only)

Consulate General of India, Jeddah

Telephone: +966-12-2614093; +966-556122301

WhatsApp: +966-536209704 (messages only)

Makkah and Madina are among Islam's holiest sites. Muslims visit them for Haj, the annual pilgrimage, and for Umrah, which can be undertaken at any time of the year.