India is significantly increasing its efforts to facilitate the return of its citizens who embarked on the Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and are now stranded. Indian diplomatic missions are actively engaging with airlines and tour operators to ensure their swift repatriation.
Diplomatic Missions Coordinate Repatriation
According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah are at the forefront of these efforts. They are working closely with relevant stakeholders to address the concerns of affected pilgrims and arrange their travel back to India.
Over the past week, approximately 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims have successfully returned to India on available flights. This is in addition to more than 10,000 regular Umrah pilgrims who had existing flight bookings and have also traveled back during the same period. Discussions are ongoing to finalize arrangements for the remaining pilgrims to return as quickly as possible.
Support Services and Contact Information
To assist Indian nationals, both the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah have established 24x7 control rooms. These centers, supported by community volunteers, are providing all possible welfare assistance. Regular advisories are being issued to keep Indian nationals informed about the situation and available support.
Indian nationals requiring assistance are advised to use the following contact channels:
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)