Indians Advised Against Travel To Saudi, Kuwait Via UAE

Abu Dhabi: The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has advised Indian citizens against travelling to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait via the United Arab Emirates due to "Covid-related restrictions on incoming passengers" imposed in the two countries.

Issued on Monday, an Embassy advisory advised the Indian nationals to "ascertain the latest Covid related travel guidelines of their final destination country before embarking on an outward journey from India".

Advisory for Indian Nationals travelling to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait via UAE 👇@AmbKapoor @IndianDiplomacy @cgidubai @MOS_MEA @MEAIndia @IndianEmbRiyadh @indembkwt @MOS_MEA @DrSJaishankar @harshvshringla pic.twitter.com/D5jcGv0SbB

— India in UAE (@IndembAbuDhabi) February 8, 2021

The citizens were also suggested to carry sufficient "personal provisions and funds to cater to any emergent requirements".

The Embassy further advised the Indian nationals who were already in the UAE en route to the two countries, to consider returning home and make their travel plans only when the ongoing restrictions were ease.

The advisory comes after the Consulate General of India in Dubai informed the Embassy that several Indians travelling to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were still stranded in the UAE.

Since December 2020, at least 600 Indians, who wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia, have been stranded in the UAE, a Consulate official told Khaleej Times.

"Due to the fast-evolving international travel protocols, the missions strongly advise all travellers to avoid going to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait using transit routes to avoid the inconvenience of being stranded in the UAE," the official said.

Earlier, these passengers were provided special travel arrangements by the missions with assistance from the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) and other social organisations.

The official confirmed that such facilities will no longer be provided.