Indian Embassy Issues Safety Advisories Amid Ongoing Drone and Missile Attacks in Saudi Arabia

Indian Embassy in Riyadh is repeatedly issuing safety advisories and travel alerts for Indian nationals currently in Saudi Arabia . Multiple messages and reminders shared via X urged Indian citizens to keep a tab on the string of security alerts being issued in the region amid the ongoing spate of drone and missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Revised guidelines issued by local authorities instructed residents to stay inside their residences, maintain a distance from open spaces, windows and glass structures, and refrain from standing on balconies or rooftops. The repeated advisories and reminders come after a string of attacks on critical Saudi infrastructure , including oil facilities and airports. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport particularly emerged as a major target for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who took aim at the massive travel hub on multiple occasions within days. One of the deadliest attacks on the Saudi capital’s airport occurred on October 10, resulting in at least 13 deaths and leaving more than 300 injured. An Indian citizen was among the deceased victims, while several others were injured. The deadly aftermath prompted the Indian mission to double down on precautionary guidance. Since then, the diplomatic arm has been re-posting and issuing multiple statements on local rules and regulations that the Indian community residing in Saudi Arabia must abide by. These updates have also included official statements from Indian airlines that have since suspended their flight operations to and from Saudi airports under the given circumstances. The Indian community residing in Saudi Arabia is requested to abide by local rules and regulations. ⬇️ https://t.co/zw4a6KmyB1 Some important guidelines shared or re-posted by the Indian mission in Riyadh include: While Indian nationals have repeatedly been warned to take precautions due to the ongoing disruption at Saudi airports, renowned Indian carriers Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air have extended their flight suspensions even further. Air India and Air India Express have temporarily suspended flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until October 24, according to an official airline statement re-posted by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. In a similar note issued by Akasa Air in the evening on October 18, the carrier stated that its flight suspension to and from Riyadh and Jeddah was being extended further up to and including October 27. #TravelAlert Air India and Air India Express have temporarily suspended flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until 24 October 2026. https://t.co/lIVxxNNsuY IndiGo also directly responded to concerned flyers on X, commenting that careful assessment of the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia had led the leading airline to cancel flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until and including October 24. On October 16, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh notified that Saudi airlines continue to operate scheduled flights to Indian destinations from Dammam, Jeddah, and Medina. Private low-cost carrier Flynas, formerly known as Nas Air, is operating scheduled flights on the Dammam-Lucknow sector despite Saudi’s third-largest airport also being attacked by Houthis previously. “Flydeal has announced launch of Dammam-Mumbai flights for October 17-18,” the Indian mission in Riyadh stated earlier this week. Most importantly, flight operations at Riyadh’s international airport were meant to remain closed until at least October 18, with delays and cancellations first being reported last Saturday (October 10). In the meantime, Dammam, Jeddah and Medina airports remain operational with some prevalent disruptions. At the same time, the diplomatic mission urged Indian citizens who need to depart the Kingdom urgently to consider travelling via Gulf states Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar as long as they’ve obtained the visas necessary to pass through these routes.