A Saudi Arabian Airlines jet made an unscheduled landing in Karachi after its captain suffered health problems on a flight from India to Jeddah, official Saudi media said on Friday.

"The captain of the Airbus A330 suffered a health condition that called for his assistant to take over the plane," the Saudi Press Agency said, citing a source at the airline known as Saudia.

SPA said the co-pilot arranged for a landing in Karachi, where a doctor could assess his colleague. "The co-pilot landed the plane normally, and the captain was medically checked.

The doctor transferred him to hospital for the necessary treatment," the source said, without elaborating on the medical problem. Flight SV891 had originated in Lucknow, India, on Thursday en route to the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah.