Pune: 111 Stranded Citizens Return Safely to Pune from Dubai; Efforts On to Repatriate Remaining Residents
Pune/Dubai, 4th March 2026: Amid escalating tensions in parts of the Middle East, 111 residents of Pune district who were stranded in Dubai have safely returned home, while efforts are underway to bring back the remaining citizens, District Collector Jitendra Dudi said on Wednesday.
Out of a total of 184 district residents identified as being in Dubai, 111 have already reached Pune. The flight schedule of 19 passengers has been rescheduled, and the process to repatriate the remaining 54 citizens is currently in progress, the administration confirmed.
Advisory Issued for Indians in West Asia:
In view of the prevailing regional situation in West Asia and neighbouring countries, both the Government of India and the Maharashtra government have issued important safety advisories for Indian nationals residing abroad.
Citizens currently living in Palestine (Ramallah), Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Israel (Tel Aviv), Iran (Tehran), Iraq (Baghdad), Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat (Oman), Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) have been urged to remain highly vigilant, avoid unnecessary movement, and strictly follow instructions issued by local authorities and Indian embassies.
The state government has appealed to Maharashtrian citizens abroad to maintain calm, rely only on official information, and immediately contact Indian diplomatic missions if required. Coordination is being maintained with the Central government and concerned embassies to ensure the safety of residents.
24×7 Embassy Helplines Activated:
Indian embassies in the affected countries have activated 24×7 helplines and are closely monitoring the situation. Contact details of the respective missions have been made public for citizens requiring assistance.
At the district level, residents seeking information or assistance have been asked to contact the Pune District Disaster Management Control Room at 020-26123371 / 26133522.
Collector Dudi has also urged citizens not to believe in rumours and to reach out to official authorities in case of any emergency.
The district administration stated that it remains on high alert and is closely tracking developments to ensure the safe return of all remaining citizens.
