1,000 Indian nationals evacuated from Qatar amid West Asia conflict

Nearly 1,000 Indian nationals stranded in Qatar due to flight disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia conflict have been flown back to India over the past few days with the assistance of the Indian Embassy in Doha and Qatar Airways . The passengers travelled to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi as part of coordinated efforts to help stranded travellers return home safely.

The embassy said the flights were arranged by prioritising emergency cases and tourists who were unable to leave Qatar after several international flights were disrupted following the escalation of tensions in the region. The mission thanked Qatar Airways for extending support and giving priority to stranded Indian passengers on humanitarian grounds .

Officials said additional efforts are underway to assist more travellers. The embassy has also been facilitating the movement of Indian nationals through the Salwa land border into Saudi Arabia using temporary 96-hour transit visas , allowing passengers to catch onward flights to India from Saudi airports.

The mission said its 24/7 control room remains operational along with helplines and helpdesks run by community organisations such as the Indian Cultural Centre and the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) to provide assistance and guidance to Indians facing travel difficulties.

In a separate advisory, the embassy urged Indian tourists and short-term visitors stranded in Qatar due to flight cancellations since February 28 to register their details through an online form so authorities can assess the number of people still requiring assistance.

Qatar hosts one of the largest Indian expatriate communities , with more than 8.3 lakh Indians living and working in the Gulf nation. The travel disruptions followed rising tensions in West Asia after US–Israel strikes on Iran , which led to security concerns and airspace disruptions across parts of the region, affecting international travel.