Indian diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia are coordinating with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the early return of stranded Umrah pilgrims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, adding that around 3,000 affected pilgrims had returned to India over the past week.
The assurance comes after one Indian national was killed and two others injured in an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah were engaging with the concerned airlines and tour operators to arrange the return of the remaining pilgrims.
"Our Embassy in Riyadh @IndianEmbRiyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah @CGIJeddah are actively engaging with concerned airlines and tour operators to facilitate the early return of affected pilgrims," Jaiswal said in a post on X.
He said around 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims had travelled from Saudi Arabia to India on available flights over the past week. This was in addition to more than 10,000 other Umrah pilgrims who had been booked on available flights and returned to India during the same period.
"Arrangements are being discussed to facilitate the return of other Umrah pilgrims at the earliest," he said.
The embassy and consulate, with support from community volunteers, were extending welfare assistance to Indian nationals, Jaiswal said. Round-the-clock control rooms have also been established, and regular advisories are being issued.
Earlier, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said around 4,000 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Makkah and Madina after airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabian cities amid the security situation in the region. He urged the Centre to intervene to ensure their return.
Owaisi tagged three airlines and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a post on X, urging the regulator to allow airlines to deploy larger aircraft to accommodate the stranded pilgrims. If that was not possible, he said, special flights should be arranged.
"The Indian pilgrims have been abandoned by their travel agents. This needs your urgent intervention; in the meanwhile necessary support must be provided to the stranded pilgrims," Owaisi said in a separate post.
He also 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.
Jaiswal shared contact details for the 24-hour control rooms at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah.
Indian Embassy, 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)
Umrah is a pilgrimage to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina that Muslims can undertake at any time of the year, unlike Haj, which takes place during a specified period.