252 expatriates keep Dhaka for Saudi Arabia
Primary flight of Saudi Arabian Airlines with 252 expatriates, stranded in Bangladesh because of COVID-19, kept Dhaka early Wednesday.
The flight, which still left Hazrat Shahjalal airport at 12:56am, reached King Khalid AIRPORT TERMINAL in Riyadh 3:20am.
After reaching the airport, Saudi Arabia welcomed Bangladeshi passengers with flowers.
Most of the travellers of the flight became stranded after coming to the united states following coronavirus pandemic.
Around half a year of closure, this is the first commercial airline flight of Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, the Saudi federal government extended the tenure of Iqama thrice. The most recent extension of expatriate visas and Iqama will expire on September 30.
The Bangladesh Embassy sent a letter to the Saudi Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, requesting to extend the validity of Iqama and visas for three more months to ensure that the stranded Bangladeshi expatriate can go back to Saudi Arabia safely.
An inter-ministerial meeting regarding the stranded Bangladeshi expatriates because of coronavirus infection was held on Tuesday with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen in the seat.
