The Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are actively coordinating with airlines and tour operators to assist thousands of stranded Umrah pilgrims in returning home amid ongoing security disruptions in Saudi Arabia. Attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, including an assault on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, have caused flight cancellations and posed significant challenges for pilgrims.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that approximately 3,000 stranded pilgrims have returned to India over the past week on available flights. In addition, about 10,000 pilgrims with regular flight bookings have traveled back during the same period, bringing the total number of returning pilgrims to over 13,000. Despite these efforts, an estimated 4,000 Indian pilgrims remain stranded in Makkah and Madina, according to Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi. He has called on the Indian government to authorize airlines to operate larger aircraft or arrange special flights to expedite their repatriation and ensure continued assistance for those awaiting travel.
To support these efforts, Indian missions have established 24-hour control rooms providing welfare assistance to nationals and maintaining constant communication with community volunteers, airlines, and tour operators. The Ministry of External Affairs affirmed that arrangements are ongoing to facilitate the prompt return of all remaining pilgrims, while regularly issuing advisories to account for the unpredictable security situation in the region.
The urgency of these efforts has intensified following a deadly attack on October 21 at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which resulted in two fatalities, including one Indian resident. Two other Indian nationals were also injured in the incident, alongside injuries to multiple foreign nationals, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The injured, whose conditions range from minor to critical, are receiving treatment at local hospitals.
GACA confirmed that airport operations have since resumed and air traffic has returned to normal. The authority is working with relevant agencies to assess damage, ensure the safety of airport infrastructure, and implement security measures to protect passengers and staff. However, the attack has raised broader concerns about the security of civilian infrastructure amid ongoing regional hostilities.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the series of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and energy facilities, including those targeting the Dammam airport and the Shaybah oilfield operated by Saudi Aramco. The ministry underscored the tragic impact of these strikes, highlighting the loss of civilian lives and injuries sustained in the incidents.