Saudi Embassies Arrange Overland Buses to Repatriate Citizens From Five Countries
Diplomatic missions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across five Arab nations—Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and Bahrain—have initiated the operation of overland bus convoys to evacuate and repatriate stranded Saudi nationals directly to Riyadh. This rapid response follows widespread flight cancellations and suspensions triggered by recent attacks on King Khalid International Airport. The diplomatic representations stipulated that eligible citizens must hold confirmed yet cancelled flight bookings verifying their disrupted air travel back to the Kingdom. In Kuwait, the Saudi Embassy confirmed the deployment of buses to transport citizens wishing to return to Riyadh whose flights were halted, identifying Monday as the official assembly and departure day following the temporary shutdown of operational activities at the Saudi capital’s main airport. Concurrently, the Saudi Embassy in Doha announced dedicated overland transport for nationals seeking repatriation, requiring proof of a cancelled flight and urging affected travelers to contact the citizen affairs emergency line to finalize logistics. Meanwhile, the Saudi Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates arranged ground transit services for stranded Saudis impacted by halted flights to the Kingdom. This diplomatic mobilization coincided with widespread community solidarity from Emirati citizens who opened their homes to host affected Saudi travelers and families amidst the difficult conditions following the bombardment of King Khalid International Airport, which caused casualties according to circulated reports. In Jordan, the Saudi Embassy allocated buses for citizens returning to Riyadh, scheduling the assembly at the embassy’s Saudi Affairs Department on Tuesday, October 12, at 11:30 a.m., with departure scheduled for 1:00 p.m., while directing passengers with cancelled tickets to coordinate for necessary instructions. Similarly, the mission in Manama arranged collective transport under identical requirements, setting the gathering at the diplomatic quarter premises at 11:30 a.m. and departure toward Riyadh at 1:00 p.m. These emergency logistical operations follow successive strikes against King Khalid International Airport over two consecutive days. Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, which left 13 people dead and 309 wounded, followed by another assault on Sunday that killed one person, bringing the two-day death toll to 14. Additionally, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported on Friday that three Saudi nationals were killed and several citizens and multinational residents injured during two separate strikes targeting the Riyadh facility on Thursday.
