MAKKAH: Abdulsalam Abdullah Al-Omari was heading back to work in Riyadh when Abha airport came under attack days ago. Within moments, the routine journey had turned into a rescue effort, as the Saudi citizen rushed to help the injured and stranded, in what he describes as nothing more than his duty.

Al-Omari said he was among those closest to the blast and immediately headed toward the damaged area to assist travelers, particularly children and the elderly.

In an interview with Arab News, Al-Omari said his actions were a “national and human obligation rooted in the values of Saudi society” and its long tradition of aiding people in need and standing together in hard times.

“We only did our duty. That is the least anyone can offer a fellow Saudi; to see what they need, help them and give them first aid,” he said. “I was on my way back to Riyadh after a short break when the brutal assault on Abha airport happened. It caught everyone by surprise.”

From the moment the attack occurred, he said his only thought was finding the injured and helping whoever needed it, without waiting for instructions.

“All I cared about was getting people first aid, checking on the injured and the elderly, and making sure everyone who had been hurt was all right,” he said. “In situations like this, time is everything. You have to act fast, especially when there could be children trapped or elderly people stranded who need urgent help.”

Being so close to the scene, he said, left him feeling doubly responsible for those around him.

“I was one of the closest people when it happened, so I went straight in to save whoever could be saved and treat whoever needed treating, and we helped get them out,” he said. “There was no time to think about anything but people’s safety.”

Al-Omari said he believes the attack exposed something essential about Saudi society; a cohesion and readiness to help others that holds up under any circumstances.

“Saudis are one social fabric bound by brotherhood, belonging and a shared fate, and attacks like this only make them more united and more determined to defend their homeland and each other,” he said.

“All Saudis are one bloc, one body, against any aggression. We are all soldiers in the service of this great nation, which has never held anything back from us,” he said. “Saudis do not fear death when it comes to defending their country. They face danger with courage and resolve.

“In moments like these we are all brothers, shoulder to shoulder, ready to give our lives for this generous homeland that has given us so much,” he said. “It is our duty to repay some of that.”

Al-Omari said he rejects any suggestion that what he did was “heroic.”

“The true measure of courage and sacrifice is set by the security personnel and soldiers stationed on the borders and at the country’s defensive lines,” he said.

“What I did is nothing next to the sacrifices of our brave soldiers on the borders and the front lines, who give their lives for the security and stability of this nation,” he said. “They are the real heroes. We learn what sacrifice and devotion mean from them.”