MFA to deploy RSAF aircraft to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to evacuate S'poreans on Mar. 10 & 12

Singapore will deploy a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to assist Singaporeans seeking to leave the Middle East amid the ongoing crisis in the region.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the aircraft will support the assisted departure of Singaporeans from Saudi Arabia on Mar. 10.

A second flight is also being planned for Mar. 12, depending on developments and logistical arrangements.

Singaporeans, who had previously registered their interest in leaving Saudi Arabia, will be contacted by MFA with further instructions.

RSAF aircraft to support assisted departure

The aircraft deployed for the operation will be the RSAF’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, which will be used to facilitate the departure of Singaporeans from Riyadh.

In a video statement posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Facebook, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang said Singaporeans across several countries in the region have expressed interest in returning home.

“There are Singaporeans in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia who are looking to return to Singapore,” Gan said.

She added that the government is continuing to monitor the evolving situation closely.

Coordination with multiple agencies

Gan noted that conditions in the region remain uncertain, with many commercial travel options still unavailable.

“The situation on the ground continues to be fluid, and many commercial airlines and airports are not ready to resume operations,” she said.

Because of this, Singapore decided to organise additional repatriation flights.

Gan said such repatriation operations require extensive coordination among Singapore’s overseas missions and multiple government agencies.

“Our teams have worked very hard to execute this operation under very trying circumstances,” she said.

She added that the effort involved close coordination with agencies, including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Gan also encouraged Singaporeans who remain overseas to stay safe and stay connected with MFA for updates.

Earlier evacuation flight

The planned flights follow an earlier evacuation effort organised by Singapore.

On Mar. 7, a repatriation flight from Muscat, Oman brought 152 Singaporeans and their dependants back to Singapore.

The flight arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3.

Some seats were also made available to Malaysian and South Korean citizens, reflecting what MFA described as international cooperation during crises.

Top images via SingaporeMFA/Facebook, Airbus