India’s Embassy in Riyadh released an urgent advisory on the morning of 16 October urging Indian nationals to remain indoors during aerial attacks and to follow Saudi authorities’ instructions. The notice comes after a Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on 10 October injured six Indian citizens, two of whom remain in intensive care. The embassy confirmed that flight operations at Riyadh are still suspended, while Dammam, Jeddah and Medina airports face intermittent disruptions. Indian carriers have extended their suspension of services to Saudi Arabia, and the mission advised travellers to consider alternative routings via Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar, while reminding them to secure transit visas in advance. For Indian companies with Gulf operations—including IT services, construction and oil-field services—the advisory means postponing non-essential travel and activating duty-of-care protocols for staff already in Saudi Arabia. Travel risk consultants note that filming or sharing images of interception sites can lead to prosecution under Saudi law, a point often overlooked by social-media-savvy expatriates. The embassy also said it is coordinating medical assistance for the injured and tracking the security situation in cooperation with Saudi authorities. Indian tour operators organising Umrah packages have begun re-routing pilgrims through Muscat and Dubai, adding up to ₹15,000 in extra costs per passenger.
Source: Akashvani News
