Mohammed Yousuf Ali, a 46-year-old IT engineer from Hyderabad who had been working in Riyadh for a decade, was killed in the Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport on Sunday — moments before his family was to board a flight to Madina for Umrah. He is the sole Indian fatality confirmed in an attack that claimed 13 lives and left 300 injured.

A Family Pilgrimage Turned Tragedy

Yousuf Ali had invited his wife and three children to Saudi Arabia roughly 10 days ago to perform Umrah, the minor Islamic pilgrimage. On the day of the attack, Yousuf Ali, his wife Sameera, their sons Aman Ali (18) and Wasi Ali (16), their daughter Maryam (11), and his aunt were gathered in the airport lounge, waiting to depart for the holy city, when a Houthi-fired missile struck the terminal. Debris from the impact hit the group and other Umrah pilgrims waiting nearby.

Yousuf Ali was critically wounded and rushed to hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. His sons sustained serious injuries: Aman underwent knee surgery, while Wasi lost three toes. His wife and daughter escaped with minor injuries, according to information received by relatives in Hyderabad.

Second Telangana Victim Hospitalised

Another man from Telangana was also caught in the blast. Shaik Saeed (42), a resident of Kamareddy district employed at a café inside the airport, was struck by falling debris. He was reportedly admitted to King Fahad Military Hospital and was receiving treatment in the intensive care unit. His two brothers are also employed elsewhere in Saudi Arabia.

Indian Embassy Response

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed the fatality on Sunday night. In a post on X, the Embassy provided a status update on all affected Indian nationals: three remained in the ICU but stable, two were admitted to regular wards, and the remaining injured had been discharged. A total of 11 Indians were among those hurt in the attack.

'Our Embassy officials have visited all hospitals where Indian nationals injured in the attack have been admitted. As mentioned earlier, 1 Indian national unfortunately passed away today, 3 are in ICU but stable, 2 more are admitted in normal wards while others have been discharged,' the Embassy said. It added: 'We thank the Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to the injured Indian nationals and assure the families that the Embassy will provide all possible support.'

Owaisi Urges Jaishankar to Step In

Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to extend every possible assistance to Yousuf Ali's family. Owaisi said he was in direct contact with Yousuf's brother-in-law based in Riyadh. According to relatives who gathered at the family's residence in Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, the last rites of Yousuf Ali are likely to be performed in Riyadh. This comes amid ongoing Houthi strikes targeting infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which have repeatedly placed the large Indian diaspora in the kingdom at risk.