Indian national stranded on Yemen’s island evacuated to Saudi Arabia

An Indian national, who was stranded on an island in Yemen for the past few weeks, was evacuated to Saudi Arabia, the Indian Embassy in the Gulf nation said on Thursday (January 8, 2026).

“Indian national Ms. Rakki Kishan Gopal, who was stranded on Socotra Island in Yemen for the past few weeks, was successfully evacuated on a special Yemenia flight to Jeddah on Jan 7,” the Indian Embassy in Yemen said in a post on X.

She was received by officials of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah and subsequently returned to India on Thursday (January 8, 2026) morning, it added.

The reasons for her visit to Yemen and the circumstances of her being stranded are not yet known.

The development comes as heavy fighting between rival armed factions in Yemen has intensified in recent days.