PETALING JAYA: The 641 stranded Malaysians in the Middle East will be brought by land to Saudi Arabia for flights home, the foreign ministry said today.
Wisma Putra said aid was being given to Malaysians from locations with restricted airspace to travel by land to Riyadh and Jeddah, where they will connect to commercial flights to Kuala Lumpur.
Among the flights from Saudi Arabia are Malaysia Airlines flight MH151 scheduled to depart today, and flights by AirAsia and Batik Air which are scheduled to operate from Jeddah today and tomorrow.
“Malaysian diplomatic missions are coordinating these movements, including road transport arrangements, entry documentation and visas, and arrival procedures with Saudi authorities,” Wisma Putra said in a statement.
The ministry said last night there were 649 Malaysians stranded in the region, with more than 200 comprising pilgrims performing the umrah.