KRG coordinates return of stranded citizens from UAE

2026-03-05 - 19:24

Shafaq News- Erbil The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) secured arrangements to repatriate citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates in coordination with Iraq’s federal Foreign Ministry, the Kurdish government said on Thursday. In a statement, the KRG’s Department of Media and Information pointed out that Saudi Arabia had opened its borders to those wishing to return via the Arar crossing without requiring a visa. Travelers can enter Saudi Arabia from the UAE and obtain a visa upon arrival at the Al-Batha border crossing before continuing to the crossing and onward to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Earlier on Thursday, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry announced that Saudi Arabia had approved measures allowing Iraqi citizens to obtain entry visas directly at border crossings, particularly the Arar crossing. Travelers, including Iraqi nationals, have been stranded across Gulf countries after airspace closures triggered by the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran. Several states, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran, temporarily closed or restricted their airspace, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute thousands of flights and disrupting major aviation hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.