India Urges Nationals in Saudi Arabia to Stay Alert Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Embassy urges Indians to follow local authorities’ instructions and avoid sharing unverified content as airport attacks disrupt flights between India and Saudi Arabia.
DUBAI, Oct 8: India on Thursday urged its nationals in Saudi Arabia to remain vigilant amid growing security concerns, advising them to stay indoors when necessary and comply with instructions issued by local authorities through official channels.
The advisory was issued by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh following a recent escalation in hostilities involving Saudi Arabia and the Iran backed Houthi group.
Over the past few weeks, Houthi militants have reportedly targeted Saudi border areas, energy installations and civilian infrastructure using missiles and armed drones.
“In view of the current situation, all Indian nationals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are advised to remain alert and vigilant, stay indoors as necessary, and follow the instructions issued by local authorities through official channels,” the embassy said.
The mission also strongly advised Indian citizens against circulating or reposting videos and news related to the ongoing developments.
The embassy in Riyadh and the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, along with their outsourced services through VFS, continue to operate normally, according to the advisory.
Indian nationals requiring assistance can contact the 24-hour Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra helpline at the toll-free number 8002471234. The embassy also urged members of the Indian community to follow its official social media accounts for the latest updates.
The security situation in Saudi Arabia has worsened in recent weeks, with attacks reported at major airports. According to Saudi authorities, two people were killed and 28 injured in an attack at Abha International Airport over the past two days. Another attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh left one person dead and eight injured. The incidents have been attributed to Houthi militants.
India strongly condemned the attacks on Thursday, describing the targeting of civilian infrastructure as “completely unacceptable”.
The escalating tensions have also disrupted air connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia, prompting airlines to cancel several services.
Air India and Air India Express have suspended flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. Akasa Air has also cancelled its Kochi-Riyadh and Riyadh-Kochi flights scheduled for Thursday.
Air India Express said affected passengers had been offered complimentary rescheduling or full refunds. The airline operates 16 weekly flights to Riyadh from Bengaluru, Kochi, Kannur and Kozhikode.
Air India has also cancelled its Riyadh services until October 10. The carrier operates seven weekly flights to the Saudi capital from Delhi and Mumbai.
The airline said flight AI2243, travelling from Delhi to Riyadh, returned to the national capital on Thursday and was subsequently cancelled. Passengers on the affected service have been offered full refunds.
Indian authorities continue to monitor developments and have urged citizens in Saudi Arabia to exercise caution, rely on official information and follow all safety instructions issued by local authorities.
