Now Reading: Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia, 40 to return on Monday
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Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia, 40 to return on Monday
The Story in Brief
The Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) is monitoring the well-being of 253 pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh stranded in Saudi Arabia amid flight disruptions triggered by regional security concerns. A special flight carrying 40 pilgrims from Vijayawada-based New Royal Tours and Travels is scheduled to depart from Jeddah at 10.50 p.m. IST on Sunday, 25 October 2026, and arrive in Hyderabad at 7 a.m. on Monday, 26 October 2026.
APNRTS said around 3,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims remain stranded in Saudi Arabia, of whom about 1,500 are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. APNRTS president Vemuru Ravi Kumar said the society is in discussions with airlines to arrange a charter flight from Dammam to Hyderabad, with fare negotiations in progress. Separately, 34 Kashmiri pilgrims remain stranded amid IndiGo flight cancellations, according to Republic. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed IndiGo has suspended flights to and from Riyadh until 31 October and services to Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until 27 October.
The Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating assistance through the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah, including liaison with airlines and support for accommodation. Stranded pilgrims have appealed to J&K leaders for intervention, while the BJP Andhra Pradesh Minority Morcha has written to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju seeking emergency flights and relief from visa overstay fines.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Hindu frames the story through the lens of state and community coordination, leading with APNRTS efforts and a confirmed return flight, and includes an appeal to a Union minister, lending an official-action narrative. Republic leads with the stranded Kashmiri pilgrims' distress, foregrounding personal accounts, financial strain and IndiGo cancellations, and ends with an appeal to J&K leaders, emphasising uncertainty. Both report the same underlying flight disruptions due to security concerns and MEA involvement. The Hindu downplays the scale of those still waiting, Republic foregrounds it. The balanced reading is that while official channels are engaged, the return of all stranded pilgrims remains unresolved until flight suspensions are lifted on the dates named by the embassy.
The Ministry of External Affairs has stated that around 3,000 stranded pilgrims returned over the past week, in addition to more than 10,000 who travelled through scheduled services.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): thehindu.com (neutral report), republicworld.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
