Emirates stops flying to Tunisia in row over ban on Tunisian women

TUNIS (Reuters) - Dubai airline Emirates will stop flying to Tunisia, it said on Sunday, after the North African country said it had banned flights from the United Emirates carrier.

The announcement came two days after Tunisian government officials said the UAE had banned Tunisian woman from flying to or transiting through its territory.

No reason was given for either decision.

Emirates said on Twitter it would stop its Dubai-Tunis connection from Monday following instructions from Tunisia.

The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Twitter both countries had been in contact about the "security measure information", without elaborating.

He added that the UAE valued and respected Tunisian women.

In Tunisia anger has been building after women said they had been banned at Tunis airport from boarding Emirates flights to Dubai.

Tunisian civil organisations and political parties called on the government to act.