Dubai: India on Thursday issued an updated advisory for its nationals in Saudi Arabia, urging them to follow instructions issued by local authorities and remain indoors in the event of an aerial attack, amid escalating tensions and Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in the region.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh also advised Indian nationals against filming, publishing or sharing information related to efforts to counter missiles and drones, warning that doing so could expose them to legal liability under local rules.
The advisory follows an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 that killed one Indian national and injured several others, including 11 Indians.
Providing an update on the injured, the embassy said two Indians remained in the intensive care unit (ICU), one was in the high dependency unit (HDU), and three were recovering in a normal ward. One person was discharged on Thursday.
Flight operations at Riyadh airport remain suspended, while flights at Dammam, Jeddah and Medina airports continue with some disruptions, the embassy said.
Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and IndiGo have suspended flights to and from Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Akasa Air extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh until October 24 and to and from Jeddah until October 21. IndiGo also extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina until October 24.
Saudia continues to operate scheduled flights from Dammam, Jeddah, and Medina, while Flynas operates scheduled flights on the Dammam–Lucknow sector, the embassy said.
Indian nationals needing to leave Saudi Arabia urgently may consider flights from neighbouring countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. However, they would be responsible for obtaining the necessary visas to enter those countries.
The embassy also advised Indians planning to travel to Saudi Arabia, including for Umrah, to remain aware of the possibility of flight disruptions at short notice.
In a video message, Ambassador Vipul urged Indian nationals to “stay calm and not panic”. He said offices and services in Saudi Arabia remained open, including the Indian embassy and consulate and their outsourced service provider.
The Consulate General of India in Jeddah said its teams in Jeddah and Makkah were responding to requests for assistance, facilitating access to essential medicines where required and coordinating with Indian community associations and volunteers to support affected passengers.
The consulate said it remained in regular contact with airlines and local authorities to explore arrangements for returning stranded passengers. Its 24-hour control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah remain operational. The Indian Haj Pilgrims Office in Makkah has also set up a new control room.
The security situation remains tense following a series of Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthis fired five missiles at the presidential palace complex in the southern city of Aden, killing two security guards, two Yemeni government officials told Reuters. Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the prime minister and cabinet members at the Maashiq palace complex were unharmed. An eyewitness video showed smoke rising from the complex.
Separately, security footage released by Saudi authorities on Thursday showed attacks on three Saudi airports: Abha International Airport, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan, and Najran International Airport.
Footage at Abha airport showed an apparent blast near passenger seating. The Saudi-led military coalition said Houthi attacks on the airport had killed three people and wounded 28. At Jazan airport, an apparent explosion was seen damaging the roof of a hall, while footage from Najran appeared to show a blast and falling debris.
The Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis had attempted to attack dozens of sites, highlighting the risks to Saudi civilian infrastructure.
The governing council of the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization condemned the recent attacks on civilian airports, aircraft and aviation infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
The attacks on airports, ports and oil facilities have turned Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider conflict and raised concerns about the impact on its economic plans.
(With agency inputs from Reuters and AP via PTI)