80-year-old Hyderabad woman released from Saudi custody over medicines

An 80-year-old Hyderabad woman, Syeda Sakeena Bee, who was detained by police in Saudi Arabia’s Buraydah city over her prescribed medicines, has been released following the intervention of Indian authorities and community representatives.

Sakeena Bee had travelled to Saudi Arabia with her son to perform Umrah.

According to Mohammed Jabbar, founder and president of the Global Telangana Forum and a social activist based in Riyadh, she was taken into custody after Saudi officials mistook her prescribed medicines for prohibited drugs.

Her medication, intended for



ongoing neurological treatment and prescribed by a doctor in Hyderabad, was later verified as legal. 

Jabbar first raised the issue on Friday, October 24, appealing on X to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for assistance.

Following diplomatic coordination, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh directed the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Jeddah to liaise with local authorities. 

Later that night, after verification of medical documents, Sakeena Bee was released from police custody.