Saudi airport attacks disrupt Indian flights, embassy focuses on diaspora welfare: MEA

Flight operations to Saudi Arabia by all Indian carriers have been impacted by attacks on airports in the kingdom, and the Indian embassy in Riyadh is focused on ensuring the welfare of the Indian diaspora, the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday.

India has condemned all strikes on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and believes “such attacks need to cease immediately”, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing.

He said one Indian was killed and 11 others were injured in the attack on the international airport in Riyadh on October 12. Three of the injured had been discharged, while eight were still in hospital, including four in the intensive care unit (ICU).

“There have been a string of attacks in Saudi Arabia and we have condemned those attacks,” Jaiswal said, noting that there was a strike on energy major Saudi Aramco’s headquarters on Tuesday.

“They [attacks] are totally unacceptable. We stand in solidarity with the people and government of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty and we hope that there is a return to peace and normalcy in the region soon,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is home to a large Indian diaspora, and there are many travellers between the two countries, some of whom have been affected by disruptions to flight schedules following the attacks on the international airport in Riyadh and other airports, Jaiswal said.

While flights operated by Indian carriers to and from Riyadh, Dammam, Medina and Jeddah have been disrupted, Saudi Arabian airlines are operating several flights. IndiGo, Air India Express, Air India and Akasa Air announced on Tuesday that they were cancelling flights connecting Saudi Arabian cities until October 17 because of the evolving situation in the country.

The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia is in regular touch with members of the Indian community to ensure their welfare. It has also issued advisories and continues to provide updated information to Indian travellers and others stranded in Saudi Arabia, Jaiswal said.

There are more than four million Indians in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest concentrations of the diaspora in West Asia. Eighteen Indians, including 11 seafarers, have died since the start of the West Asia conflict.