Saudi Arabia-Houthi conflict: Indian Embassy in Riyadh issues advisory, urges nationals to remain vigilant

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has advised Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia to remain alert and vigilant, stay indoors when necessary and follow instructions issued by local authorities amid a sharp escalation in hostilities involving the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

In an advisory issued on Thursday (October 8), the embassy urged Indians to avoid circulating or reposting videos or news related to the ongoing events.

“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 embassy said.

The advisory comes as the security situation in Saudi Arabia has deteriorated in recent weeks, with drones and missiles being used against border areas, airports, energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.

Indian Embassy issues safety advisory

The Embassy of India in Riyadh, along with the Consulate in Jeddah, said its operations were continuing normally. Its outsourced services through VFS were also functioning as usual.

The embassy said it would issue further updates and advisories as necessary.

Indian nationals requiring assistance can contact the 24x7 helpline of the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra at 8002471234.

The embassy also urged the Indian community to follow its official social media channels for updates.

Riyadh, Abha airports targeted

According to Saudi authorities, attacks over the past two days have killed two people and injured 28 at Abha International Airport, while another attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed one person and injured eight others.

India on Thursday strongly condemned the attacks, saying the targeting of civilian infrastructure was “completely unacceptable”.

The Houthis claimed on Thursday that they had struck Riyadh airport and warned workers to stay away from Saudi energy facilities.

Reuters reported that witnesses saw a thick column of smoke and flames rising from the Riyadh airport area. A witness and people briefed on the matter said a commercial aircraft had caught fire, although there was no immediate official confirmation of the cause.

Saudi authorities said debris from an intercepted Houthi missile landed in Riyadh, damaging a kindergarten and a medical complex.

India-Saudi flight services disrupted

The escalation has also disrupted air connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia.

Air India and Air India Express have cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. Akasa Air has also cancelled its Kochi-Riyadh and Riyadh-Kochi services on Thursday.

Air India Express said passengers affected by the cancellations had been offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund. The airline 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 Delhi on Thursday before being cancelled, with passengers offered full refunds.

According to aviation analytics company Cirium, almost half of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT on Thursday, while further cancellations were expected across Saudi airports on Friday.

Saudi Arabia seeks allied support

The latest attacks are part of a wider escalation linked to the renewed fighting in Yemen.

The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia because of its support for forces belonging to Yemen's internationally recognised government. Riyadh, meanwhile, is backing an offensive by government forces against the Houthis.

The Yemen conflict had largely remained frozen under a ceasefire since 2022, but fighting has intensified in recent weeks.

The Houthis have made gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including areas near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi-backed forces have since launched a counteroffensive to regain territory.

Reuters reported that the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh and another directed towards Khamis Mushayt, which hosts a major Saudi airbase.

The renewed conflict has also created a growing humanitarian crisis, with around 200,000 people reportedly displaced since the fighting resumed.