Dubai, Oct 15 India on Thursday issued an updated advisory for its nationals in Saudi Arabia, reminding them to continue following instructions issued by local authorities and stay indoors in case of an aerial attack due to the prevailing situation in the Gulf country.
The updated advisory comes amid escalating tensions in the region due to a series of drone and missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure by Yemen’s Houthis.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh also advised Indian nationals to refrain from filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones as it could expose the individual to legal liability, as per local rules.
Providing an update on the Indian nationals who were injured in an attack on Riyadh airport on October 10, the embassy said that two are in the ICU, one in HDU (High Dependency Unit) and three are recovering in a normal ward. It said one person was discharged on Thursday.
An Indian national was killed in the attack on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which also left several others injured, including 11 Indian nationals.
Flight operations remain suspended at Riyadh airport. Flight operations at Dammam, Jeddah, and Medina airports continue, with some disruptions, the embassy said.
Indian carriers, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and IndiGo Airlines, have suspended flights to and from Saudi Arabia until October 17.
On Thursday, Akasa Air extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh until October 24 and Jeddah until October 21. IndiGo also extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina until October 24.
Saudia airlines continues to operate scheduled flights from Dammam, Jeddah, and Medina while Flynas is operating scheduled flights on the Dammam–Lucknow sector, the embassy said.
The embassy said Indian nationals requiring urgent departure from Saudi Arabia may consider flights from neighbouring countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. However, the concerned individuals would be responsible for obtaining the necessary visas to enter these countries, it said.
Indian nationals planning to travel to Saudi Arabia, including for Umrah, are advised to be aware of the possibility of flight disruptions at short notice between India and Saudi Arabia due to the prevailing situation, the embassy said.
Ambassador Vipul also issued a video message reiterating the advisory, asking Indian nationals to “stay calm and not panic.”
“Those of us who are living in Saudi Arabia, we are seeing that all the offices here are open, all services are available, our embassy and consulate are also open, our outsourced service provider is also working, so that people do not have any problems in getting passports or attestation services,” he said in a video message.
The Consulate General of India in Jeddah said its teams in Jeddah and Makkah are responding to requests for assistance, facilitating access to essential medicines where required, and coordinating with Indian community associations and volunteers to support affected passengers.
“The Consulate remains in regular contact with the concerned airlines and local authorities to explore possible arrangements for the return of stranded passengers. The 24×7 Control Rooms in Jeddah and Makkah remain operational for Indian nationals requiring consular assistance,” it said.
The consulate on Wednesday said a new control room has been set up at the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office (IHPO), Makkah, while its existing 24-hour control room in Jeddah will continue to operate.
On Tuesday, the consulate had advised Indian nationals, particularly Umrah pilgrims travelling to and from Jeddah and Medina, to remain in regular contact with their airlines and check flight status before heading to airports.
Umrah is an Islamic religious ritual that can be undertaken at any time of the year, unlike the annual Haj pilgrimage. Umrah pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform a pilgrimage to Makkah, the holiest city in Islam.
(PTI News)
