JEDDAH, 16 July 2006 — The Saudi Embassy in Beirut has advised all Saudi citizens in Lebanon to leave the country.
The government has ordered Saudi Arabian Airlines to divert more planes to Damascus to facilitate the flood of Saudi nationals seeking to leave the region due to the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon. Daily flights to Damascus have been increased from two to five.
Under the orders of Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, additional flights will be coming and going from the Damascus International Airport to Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, the official Saudi Press Agency quoted Director General of the Saudi Airlines Khaled Al-Mulhim as saying yesterday. He also said that about 1,200 Saudis returned home Thursday and Friday.
“Saudi Airlines has made all the necessary arrangements to enable the smooth return of Saudis from Lebanon in conjunction with the Kingdom’s embassy in Beirut, which is supervising the return of the Saudis to Damascus. The Saudi Embassy in Damascus is supervising the arrangement of their onward journey to the Kingdom,” said Al-Mulhim.
“The Saudi authorities have also ordered the carrier to accept all Saudis with or without tickets, and without payment,” the director general said.
Saudi Airlines has also posted special work force at the Damascus airport on round-the-clock duty and at the Saudia offices in Syria and Lebanon on 18-hour duty in order to facilitate speedy airlifting of the all the citizens and to answer their queries.
More aircraft are being requisitioned apart from sending additional staff to man three new operation centers in the Saudi Embassy in Damascus, Sham Hotel and the Saudia offices in Damascus.
The Saudi Embassy in Beirut has provided the following numbers for more information: 01/860248, 01/860422, 01/860351, 03/078787, 03/923092, 03/676578, 03/928356, 03/088099, 03/944919, 03/762382.
