Doha, Mar 12: With West Asia’s Iran-US-Israel firestorm sending shockwaves across the Gulf—choking Hormuz oil flows and spiking fears for 8 lakh Indian expats—Qatar’s Indian Embassy rolled out a comprehensive 1700 hrs update tonight, confirming 700 nationals safely winged back to India today on two Qatar Airways flights bound for Delhi, Mumbai, and connecting hubs.
“About 700 Indian nationals left for India today on two Qatar Airways flights… One-two flights of Qatar Airways are expected for India daily in the coming days,” the advisory detailed, painting a proactive picture as New Delhi coordinates with Doha to keep airways open amid regional airspace jitters. For those still grounded, options abound: snag the limited Qatar Airways seats or bolt via the Salwa land border into Saudi Arabia—but only with a valid Saudi visa in hand.
No visa? No sweat—the Embassy’s turbo-charging 96-hour temporary transit visas for Indians stuck on Qatar visit visas, eyeing the Saudi escape hatch. “Registration in this regard can be done through the link available on our social media channels,” it urged, streamlining a paperwork nightmare for families fleeing uncertainty.
Passport emergencies? Doha’s mission throws wide its doors Friday-Saturday (March 13-14) specially for tatkal renewals—walk-ins welcome to sort documents before wheels-up. Market panic setting in? Embassy doused rumors: “Qatar authorities affirm the stability of markets across the State and the availability of all essential goods at retail outlets.” The plea was firm: “Everyone is urged to act responsibly, avoid being misled by rumours or engaging in unnecessary stockpiling, and purchase only what is necessary to meet actual needs.”
This comes hot on the heels of Saudi tanker Shenlong’s daring Mumbai docking—first post-Hormuz crisis—and Hardeep Puri’s Lok Sabha vow of fuel security. Qatar hosts over 800,000 Indians in construction, services, and oil—prime exposure to any Gulf meltdown. Embassy’s all-hands-on-deck signals India’s playbook: airlifts, visa bridges, rumor-busting, and round-the-clock support. As Jumat-ul-Vida prayers echo tomorrow, expats weigh stay-or-go—New Delhi’s got their backs, one flight at a time. Safe passage home remains priority one.
