Natives eye Saudi visa for quick & temporary exit

Bhubaneswar: For many NROs in Bahrain, life continues with a sense of calm despite the wider tension across West Asia. Shops are open, essentials are available, and daily routines remain largely undisturbed in a country they describe as peaceful and stable.

Yet beneath that calm, many families are quietly preparing a contingency plan: A Saudi visa that could help them move temporarily to neighbouring Saudi Arabia if the situation worsens or if flight operations in Bahrain and nearby airports face disruption.

Members of the community say the visa is not driven by panic, but by prudence. “Bahrain has remained one of the more peaceful places in the region, and that is precisely why many Odias have chosen to stay on rather than leave in haste,” said an Odia diaspora member.

They say that if they lived in a country more frequently affected by strife, they would have already returned home.

“The situation in Bahrain is otherwise remains peaceful and normal. But in times like these, every family wants a Plan B. If flights are affected here, we can cross into Saudi Arabia and manage from there for some time,” said a NRO.

That fallback option made the Saudi visa especially valuable. Community members say it offers not only a temporary relocation route, but also a practical exit strategy through Dammam airport, from where they could board flights to India and return to their native places until the regional situation improves.

Another Odia resident said the move was about preparedness rather than fear. “We are not facing any shortage here. Supplies are coming normally, and cargo movement is smooth. Even return flights from India have very few passengers, so the cargo section has enough space to carry essentials,” the resident said.

This helped reassure families that immediate survival concerns are not an issue. Food, medicines, and household goods remain available, and there is no sign of supply chain stress. Another resident said calm and caution are now going hand in hand.