Amid the escalating conflict in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday (March 30, 2026) said eight Indian nationals have lost their lives while one remains missing in “various incidents” in the region.
Also Read: West Asia War Update 30 March 2026
At an inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi on the situation in West Asia, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, Aseem R. Mahajan, also said, “Unfortunately, an Indian citizen lost his life yesterday in an attack in Kuwait.” However, he did not specify the circumstances of this death.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our mission in Kuwait is in touch with the family of the deceased and is closely coordinating with local authorities for all support and early return of his remains to India,” he said.
On March 20, at an inter-ministerial briefing, Mr Mahajan told reporters that six Indian nationals had lost their lives while one remained missing in “various incidents”.
Sharing an update on Monday (March 30, 2026), he said, “Eight Indian nationals have unfortunately lost their lives and one Indian national remains missing in various incidents.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia recently said that an Indian citizen was killed in Riyadh due to the “recent events of March 18”. The ministry also said that since February 28, about 5.5 million passengers have returned to India from the region.
The MEA reiterated on Monday (March 30, 2026) that it continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Persian Gulf and West Asia.
“We continue to call for restraint and de-escalation while emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy as a means to an early end to the conflict,” MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 28 and discussed with him the ongoing conflict in West Asia and agreed on the need to ensure freedom of navigation.
In his telephone conversation, the prime minister also reiterated India’s condemnation of attacks on regional energy infrastructure.
Mr Mahajan said the safety, security and well-being of the region’s large Indian community remained “our highest priority”.
“Our dedicated control room remains operational… Our missions and posts across the region are operating 24/7, operating 24/7 helplines, issuing regularly updated advisories and remaining actively engaged with Indian community associations, organizations and Indian companies spread across the region,” he said. Further, CBSE has already announced the evaluation scheme for declaration of Class X and Class XII results in the region following the cancellation of the exams due to the ongoing conflict.
Academic concerns, especially those related to CBSE, ICSE, Kerala boards and JEE and NEET examinations, are addressed through regular contact with parents and students, the MEA said.
Special attention is also given to the welfare of Indian seafarers. Indian missions are in continuous contact with Indian crew members on vessels across the region to provide support, she said.
Mr. Mahajan said airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights between India and the UAE.
About 85 flights are expected to operate from UAE to India later on Monday (March 30, 2026).
Flights operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to various destinations in India. With Qatar’s airspace partially open, Qatar Airways is expected to operate around 10 flights to India on March 30.
The airspace of Kuwait and Bahrain remains closed. Jazeera Airways of Kuwait and Gulf Air of Bahrain operate unscheduled commercial flights from an airport in Saudi Arabia to various destinations in India, an MEA official said.
“Due to flight restrictions and airspace closures, we continue to facilitate travel for Indian nationals from Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan to India… and from Israel, from Egypt and Jordan to India, from Iraq via Jordan and Saudi Arabia to India, and from Kuwait and Bahrain via Saudi Arabia to India,” he said.
Published – 30 March 2026 19:36 IST
