Indians in Gulf forced to miss Eid with families as Middle East war disrupts travel

As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, thousands of Indian workers in Gulf nations are unable to return home due to flight cancellations, exorbitant fares and job security concerns amid tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran. Families in India are bracing for a subdued festival marked by absence and anxiety.

As Muslims across the world prepare to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, thousands of Indian workers in Gulf countries are staring at a lonely festival this year, without the warmth of home, family embraces or shared meals.

For years, Eid has meant a homecoming for many Indian expatriates, particularly from countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where extended holidays, often lasting five to seven days, allow workers to reunite with families. This time, however, the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has upended those plans.

Flight cancellations and steep fare hikes, rising up to 10 to 12 times the usual cost in some cases, have made travel either impossible or unaffordable. Back home, families are bracing for a subdued festival, shaped as much by concern for loved ones abroad as by their absence at the table.

Akram Tyagi (name changed), a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, had planned his trip home from Riyadh months in advance. He had booked a ticket on IndiGo, but his flight was cancelled twice after hostilities escalated.

“Every year, I go home for Eid. This time too, everything was planned in advance. But with the flight cancelled, I have no option but to stay back,” he said, adding that informing his parents he would not be home was particularly painful.

A similar story is playing out for Syed Ali (name changed), a native of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh who has been working in Dubai for six years. “This will be the first time I celebrate Eid without my family. Festivals are about being together. Without that, it feels incomplete,” he said.