Thousands of Indian Muslim pilgrims are stranded in Saudi Arabia amid flight disruptions and escalating Houthi attacks, with India’s government saying it is working to arrange their return.

The situation reported on October 23, 2026, puts the number affected in the thousands, but the available information provides no precise count. It also does not identify the airlines, routes or airports involved, limiting any assessment of the scale of the disruption beyond the pilgrims affected.

The government’s statement indicates that return arrangements are being pursued. The supplied account does not, however, give a departure timetable or describe how those arrangements would operate. It provides no confirmation that return flights have been scheduled.

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The immediate issue is when the stranded pilgrims will be able to travel home amid the flight disruptions and escalating Houthi attacks. Further details on the government’s arrangements would be needed to establish when departures can begin and which travellers they would accommodate.