Dubai: India on Thursday advised its nationals in Saudi Arabia to remain alert and vigilant amid an evolving security situation in the Gulf kingdom, asking them to stay indoors as necessary and follow instructions issued by local authorities through official channels.
The advisory by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh came amid a recent escalation in hostilities involving Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group.
In the last few weeks, Houthis have been targeting Saudi border regions, energy facilities, and civilian infrastructure using armed drones and missiles.
“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 mission said.
It also strongly advised Indian nationals against circulating or reposting videos or news related to the ongoing events.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh, along with the Consulate in Jeddah and its outsourced services through VFS, continues to function normally, the advisory said.
The 24×7 helpline of the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra remains available at toll-free number 8002471234, it said.
The Indian community has also been advised to follow the official social media handles of the embassy for updates.
The security situation in Saudi Arabia has deteriorated in recent weeks.
The country’s airports have also come under attack in the latest escalation.
According to Saudi authorities, over the last two days, two people were killed and 28 injured in an attack at Abha International Airport, while one person was killed and eight others injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The attacks have been attributed to Houthi militants.
India on Thursday strongly condemned the attacks, saying the targeting of civilian infrastructure was “completely unacceptable”.
The deteriorating security situation has also affected air services between India and Saudi Arabia.
Air India and Air India Express have cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10, while Akasa Air has cancelled its Kochi-Riyadh and Riyadh-Kochi services on Thursday.
Air India Express said affected passengers have been offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund. It operates 16 weekly flights to Riyadh from Bengaluru, Kochi, Kannur and Kozhikode.
Air India has also cancelled its Riyadh services until October 10. It operates seven weekly flights to Riyadh from Delhi and Mumbai.
The airline said flight AI2243 from Delhi to Riyadh returned to the national capital on Thursday and was subsequently cancelled, with full refunds offered to passengers.
