Pakistani Missions in Saudi Arabia Launch 24/7 Helplines to Assist Travellers Amid Gulf Crisis
Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: Pakistani diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia on Sunday launched round-the-clock helplines and deployed support teams at major airports to assist travellers following disruptions to flight schedules caused by the ongoing Gulf crisis, according to Radio Pakistan.
The measures were introduced after escalating tensions in the Middle East disrupted air travel, affecting Pakistani Umrah pilgrims and other passengers travelling to and from Saudi Arabia.
According to officials, the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah have established 24/7 helplines and stationed facilitation teams at regional airports to provide assistance to Pakistani travellers facing difficulties due to flight cancellations and delays.
The steps were taken on the instructions of the Government of Pakistan to ensure the smooth facilitation of passengers amid disruptions linked to the regional security situation.
Authorities said that the overall situation for Pakistani pilgrims and travellers in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah remains stable. However, minor operational restrictions and precautionary advisories are currently in place in parts of the regional airspace due to the ongoing conflict.
Regional tensions escalated sharply last week following US and Israeli air strikes that reportedly assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials, triggering retaliatory actions from Tehran and widening the conflict across the region.
In response, Iran launched strikes targeting US military bases in several Gulf countries, significantly expanding the scope of the confrontation and creating uncertainty across regional airspace.
Pakistan has also experienced widespread aviation disruptions. Since February 28, more than 570 flights between Pakistan and Gulf countries—including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar—have been cancelled.
Affected airlines include Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue, Flydubai and Qatar Airways.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the government had taken comprehensive steps to assist Pakistanis stranded in Iran and other Gulf countries. Special facilitation desks have been established to help returning nationals, while Pakistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulates in Jeddah and Dubai are actively providing support.
Similar assistance arrangements have also been set up at Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad.
Officials estimate that disruptions and airspace closures across the Gulf region have caused Pakistan a revenue shortfall of approximately Rs20 billion.
Globally, the crisis has caused major disruptions to air travel. Despite governments and airlines arranging special flights to evacuate stranded passengers, more than 13,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, flights in the region account for around 900,000 seats daily, indicating that the number of affected travellers may already exceed one million.
