New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) Indian embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah are actively engaging with concerned airlines and tour operators to facilitate early return of affected Indian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
The MEA’s assurance comes after one Indian national died and two others were injured in an attack on Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport.
According to the MEA, about 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims have returned from Saudi Arabia to India on available flights.
Earlier, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that “4,000 pilgrims from India are stuck in Makkah and Madina” after airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabian cities due to the security situation in the region and urged the Centre to take measures for the pilgrims to return home.
Owaisi also tagged three airlines in his post on X, as also the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and said the DGCA must permit airlines to arrange flights in larger aircraft so that the stranded pilgrims can return to India, if not at least specified flights must be arranged to bring them back.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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.”
“Over the past week, about 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims have travelled from Saudi Arabia back to India on available flights. This is in addition to more than 10,000 normal Umrah pilgrims who were booked on the available flights and have travelled back to India over the past week,” Jaiswal said.
“Arrangements are being discussed to facilitate the return of other Umrah pilgrims at the earliest,” he said.
The Indian embassy and consulate, with the support from community volunteers are extending all possible welfare assistance, he said, adding that 24×7 control rooms have been established to help Indian nationals and regular advisories are being issued.
In Islam, Makkah and Madina are two of the holiest places on earth, and its followers undertake pilgrimage to the two sites once a year as part of Haj, or as Umrah pilgrims any time of the year.
Owaisi in a thread post further said, “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.”
He also tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in the post.
MEA spokesperson Jaiswal in his post also shared contact details of the 24×7 control rooms at Embassy of India, Riyadh and Consulate General of India, Jeddah.
“Embassy of India, Riyadh: Telephone: +966-554412016; +966-542126784 Toll-free: 8002471234 (Calls from within KSA only) WhatsApp: +966-536216082 (Messages only) Consulate General of India, Jeddah: Telephone: +966-12-2614093; +966-556122301 WhatsApp: +966-536209704 (Messages only),” he added. PTI KND KVK
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