Kazakh MFA: Citizens Evacuated from the Middle East via Oman and Saudi Arabia
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Against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in a number of countries, Kazakhstan is organizing the evacuation of its citizens via overland routes, Orda.kz reports.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev announced this at a government briefing.
According to him, a Flydubai flight operated yesterday for Kazakhstanis who had purchased tickets before February 28 but were unable to fly on March 1 and 2. In general, the UAE has closed its airspace. Many airlines have suspended flights, but carriers are still allowed to fulfill their obligations to passengers, so the flight went ahead.
This applies only to citizens with previously purchased tickets. Kazakhstanis who are in transit without tickets, as well as those living in the UAE and Qatar, are being evacuated via neighboring countries.
A number of citizens of Kazakhstan who are in transit without tickets, and a number of citizens of Kazakhstan who live in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — as we reported yesterday — will be evacuated through two neighboring states. This is the Sultanate of Oman: the first convoy of buses with our citizens departed Dubai today. By the end of the day, we plan to bring 467 citizens of Kazakhstan from the Sultanate of Oman back to Kazakhstan.he said.
The second route runs through Saudi Arabia. Citizens in Qatar will be taken by bus to Riyadh and then to Jeddah. From there, they will be sent home on flights operated by Kazakh airlines.
Separate work is underway on Iran. People are being evacuated overland via Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. Following talks between Kazakhstan’s foreign minister and his counterparts, Turkmenistan has allowed border crossings. Eighteen Kazakh citizens who were in Gorgan, in northern Iran, have already been taken out through Turkmen territory.
Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said Kazakhstan is ready to deploy up to six aircraft (Air Astana and SCAT) as soon as air corridors reopen. In total, around 5,000 Kazakhstanis are expected to depart.
Evacuation routes:
- From Dubai — via Oman
- From Qatar — via Saudi Arabia
- From Iran — overland via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to coordinate the evacuation and is negotiating with neighboring states to ensure the safe return of citizens.
Original author: Ilya Astakhov
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