Latvia’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dana Goldfinča, is advising Latvian nationals not to attempt leaving the UAE by land at this time and instead to wait for the situation to stabilise locally.
In an interview with Latvian Television’s Rīta panorāma, the ambassador estimated that there are currently around 2,000 Latvian nationals in the region.
According to Goldfinča, two major waves of attacks occurred overnight in Abu Dhabi, while the night in Dubai was calmer.
She noted that the embassy has been receiving a large number of phone calls and emails in recent days — both regarding possibilities for departing the UAE and other practical matters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) previously reported that 478 Latvian nationals have registered short-term travel to the UAE in the consular register. In addition, 25 nationals have registered travel to Israel, 21 to Oman, 22 to Qatar, eight to Kuwait, six to Saudi Arabia, five to Bahrain and five to Jordan. The MFA emphasised that these figures are subject to change.
The ministry urges Latvian nationals to follow official announcements in local media
regarding changes in the security situation and to comply with instructions issued by local authorities.
The MFA explained that airspace over Middle Eastern countries — with the exception of Oman and Saudi Arabia — remains closed, and air raid alerts are regularly being issued. The ministry is aware that some Etihad Airways flights were able to depart from Abu Dhabi in the afternoon, and that several evening flights by Emirates and Flydubai are planned from Dubai Airport. The MFA is also coordinating with other European Union member states regarding possible assistance for travellers currently in the Middle East.
The ministry added that it is currently possible to leave Israel by land to Egypt via the Taba border crossing. From Taba Airport, flights to several European countries are available with Israel’s Arkia and ISRAIR, as well as Greece’s Blue Bird and Cyprus’ TUS Airways. Information on ticket availability is available on the airlines’ websites. At the same time, the MFA urges travellers to carefully assess the risks associated with overland travel.
As previously reported, since Saturday Israel and the United States have carried out strikes on hundreds of targets in Iran, including missile launch sites, facilities linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme, army headquarters and political leaders. In Saturday’s attack, Iran’s theocratic regime leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed.
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