RIYADH: Saudi travelers stranded abroad following flight cancellations linked to regional security developments have received assistance from the Kingdom\u2019s embassies, including emergency accommodation and help arranging their return home.<\/p>\n
Several citizens took to social media platform X to share their experiences, highlighting how Saudi diplomatic missions helped secure hotel rooms, provided guidance and coordinated their return to the Kingdom.<\/p>\n
In Madrid, one Saudi traveler described how the embassy stepped in after his flight to Riyadh was canceled, leaving him and other passengers struggling to find accommodation amid high hotel occupancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe called the embassy and told them our flight to Riyadh had been canceled and that hotels in Madrid were fully booked because of their national day. We asked where we were supposed to go,\u201d the traveler wrote on X.<\/p>\n
He said embassy staff immediately asked them to open WhatsApp and sent them a location.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we arrived, we discovered they had booked a separate room for each of us,\u201d he wrote, expressing his pride in being Saudi and offering prayers for the Kingdom, its leadership and people.<\/p>\n
Another Saudi citizen, who goes by Al-Razan on X, shared a similar experience after contacting the embassy regarding her extended hotel stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe called the embassy, and they told us to ask the hotel to extend our stay without paying, and to inform them that the embassy would contact them,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like crying. May God preserve our security and safety,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Similar accounts emerged from China, where Saudi citizen Hassan Al-Sulami praised the Saudi Embassy in Beijing after his flight to Riyadh was canceled.<\/p>\n Al-Sulami, who was stranded in Guangzhou, with his wife, Al-Hanouf, after their flights to Saudi Arabia were canceled due to the security situation in the region, praised the swift response and assistance provided by the Saudi Embassy in China.<\/p>\n Al-Sulami was visiting China on an annual business trip when he learned that his scheduled journey from Guangzhou to Beijing, then Riyadh and Jeddah, had been canceled, leaving the couple uncertain about how they would return home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe panicked. At first, we had no idea what to do,\u201d he told Arab News.<\/p>\n After seeing a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging citizens affected by flight disruptions to contact Saudi diplomatic missions, Al-Sulami emailed the embassy explaining his situation.<\/p>\n Within minutes, he received a response requesting his phone number, followed by a call from embassy staff reassuring him that assistance was available.<\/p>\n \u201cConsider it done. Just tell us what you need. Don\u2019t worry about anything. Is there anything you\u2019re missing? If you need anything, we can come to you right now,\u201d he recalled being told.<\/p>\n He said embassy officials subsequently coordinated with the airline and arranged a new flight for Oct. 12 at 10 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of this happened in less than two hours. What began with intense anxiety, fear and uncertainty ended with reassurance and peace of mind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Al-Sulami encouraged other Saudi citizens facing similar circumstances abroad to contact the Kingdom\u2019s diplomatic missions.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are people who care about you, follow up on your situation and work to ensure your safety and well-being,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Saudi citizen Lama Bandar also shared her experience after her return flight to Riyadh was disrupted.<\/p>\n \u201cMy return to Riyadh was disrupted today, but I have a great homeland. I do not know fear, and I cannot be left stranded when I have my country to rely on,\u201d she wrote on X.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Saudi Embassy provided accommodation and arranged a suitable return plan,\u201d she added, expressing gratitude for the assistance she received.<\/p>\n The accounts came as several Saudi embassies issued notices urging citizens whose flights had been canceled or whose journeys had been disrupted to contact diplomatic missions for assistance and guidance through designated emergency WhatsApp numbers.<\/p>\n The embassies also reaffirmed their readiness to assist Saudi nationals around the clock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Saudi](\"https:\/\/assets.maestronewsroom.com\/media\/30f6532d-717b-4366-9158-9c455299fcd9\/1791721239949-f61006e4cbfd524b.jpeg\")