Stranded Umrah Pilgrims Returning Safely to India, Others Being Assisted: Kiren Rijiju

In a post on X, Rijiju said the government was actively addressing the concerns of Indian citizens and had established 24-hour control rooms at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah to assist pilgrims.

He added that the stranded pilgrims who had returned were in addition to more than 10,000 regular Umrah pilgrims who had travelled back to India over the preceding week.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that the Indian Embassy and Consulate were coordinating with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the early return of affected pilgrims.

According to the ministry, around 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims had travelled from Saudi Arabia to India over the previous week on available flights. This was in addition to more than 10,000 pilgrims who had returned through their existing travel arrangements.

The MEA said arrangements were being discussed to facilitate the return of the remaining pilgrims as soon as possible. The Indian diplomatic missions, supported by community volunteers, were providing welfare assistance and issuing regular advisories. Dedicated 24-hour control rooms had also been established to assist Indian nationals.

The developments follow an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday, in which an Indian national and a Saudi citizen were killed, while several others were injured.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed the two fatalities and said eight people had been injured. The injured included one Saudi citizen, two Indians, two Yemenis, two Bangladeshis and one Nepalese national. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical, and they were receiving medical treatment at several hospitals.

In a statement, GACA said it was coordinating with the relevant authorities to assess the damage, verify the safety of airport facilities and implement measures to protect passengers and personnel.

The authority also confirmed that airport operations had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal.

The Indian government has said its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia remain engaged with local authorities and other stakeholders to assist affected Indian nationals and facilitate their safe return.