Several Indian tourists stranded in Bahrain were evacuated to Dammam in Saudi Arabia and airlifted to Kochi on Wednesday by a special Gulf Air flight.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Stranded Telugu tourists in Bahrain about to board the bus for their journey by road to Dammam in Saudi Arabia from Manama in Bahrain.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
As many as 60 Telugu tourists from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stranded in Bahrain since February 28 were airlifted from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Kochi on Wednesday.
A special flight operated by Gulf Air left Dammam airport at 9.30 p.m. local time and arrived at Kochi International Airport at 4.50 a.m. “Thanks to the initiative of the Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ramamohan Naidu, a special flight was arranged by Gulf Air. The Telugu expats in Manama (Bahrain) ensured that we all were evacuated from Manama and driven to Dammam,” Goneh Solomon Raj, a tourist from Hyderabad, who reached out to the Indian government soon after the war broke out, told The Hindu after arriving in Kochi.
The special flight had 140 passengers from different parts of the country, he said, adding that more people, who are stuck in Manama and other parts of Bahrain were being evacuated in a phased manner. He said many of the Telugu-speaking tourists hailed from places like Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Suryapet in Telangana and several towns of Andhra Pradesh.
Telugu families have expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Centre and the Telangana government for their swift and compassionate intervention in facilitating the safe return of 60 Indian citizens from Bahrain. The tourists, who came back to Hyderabad recalled the proactive support from the Chief Ministerin ensuring the safe return of the citizens through a special flight from Dammam to Kochi.
The families said the successful operation was made possible through effective diplomatic coordination by the Centre, which facilitated the issuance of transit visas from Saudi Arabia. The families also acknowledged the significant role played by the Bahrain Telugu Association and Gulf Air, which acted as important intermediaries between the affected families and government authorities.
The Telugu community in Bahrain came forward in a big way and from February 28 to March 10, local Telugu families provided breakfast, lunch and dinner to all 60 individuals, ensuring their well being during their stay.
What should have been a memorable holiday for several tourists to Bahrain in the last week of February turned into a nightmare as the US-Israel attack on Iran completely shut the air space in West Asia. Thousands of Indians were stranded in the Gulf countries with flights coming to a grinding halt.
Mr. Solomon Raj said they had made their own arrangements for onward journey to Hyderabad. “Eighteen people are now travelling to Hyderabad in different airlines to reach their respective destinations,” he said.
Interestingly, the Embassy of India in Bahrain put out an advisory on Tuesday, saying the Embassy is not connected with arrangements by business groups of transport arrangements to neighbouring countries from Bahrain by private parties.
Published – March 11, 2026 10:00 am IST
