Singaporeans from Abu Dhabi, Dubai make their way to Oman ahead of chartered flight home

Two groups of Singaporeans in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates seeking to return home via the first government-organised repatriation flight from the region embarked on a five hour bus ride to Muscat in Oman early on Friday (March 6) morning. 

They were sent off by the Singapore embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate-general in Dubai respectively, and were accompanied on their bus rides by Singapore embassy/consulate officers. 

In Oman, the returning Singaporeans were supported by the Singapore embassy in Muscat and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) crisis response team until their departure via the chartered flight on Saturday. 

The flight is due to land in Singapore on Saturday evening, while another flight is scheduled to land on Sunday. 

In a Facebook post on Friday, the ministry said Singapore's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Kamal R Vaswani and consul-general in Dubai Raziff Aljunied spoke briefly to the Singaporeans in Abu Dhabi and Dubai prior to their departure. 

"Many of them have gone through a challenging week trying to secure a flight home. We are glad that they will now be able to head home and wish them a safe flight and smooth journey ahead."

In another post on Friday, the ministry said MFA officers have been working around the clock to get in touch with Singaporeans, update them on developments, and coordinate with airlines and local authorities to identify safe routes out of the region.

"The situation is fast moving and complex. Airspace and airport closures, flight cancellations and rapidly changing security conditions mean plans have to be adjusted constantly. Despite these challenges, we will continue to make every effort to help Singaporeans return home safely."

Multiple airlines announced widespread cancellations due to airport closures across the Middle East since the war broke out between Israel and the United States, and Iran on Feb 28 — in what is currently the biggest disruption to air travel since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Emirates and Etihad Airways have since resumed flights from the UAE to Singapore on Thursday. 

More than 20,000 flights from the region have been cancelled with major Gulf hubs, including Dubai, remaining closed or severely restricted and leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. 

Road trips from Bahrain and Qatar to Riyadh

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang said about a quarter of Singaporeans who have e-registered with her ministry have sought assistance to return home since the war broke out. 

The government-planned repatriation flights over the weekend will serve Singaporeans who are currently in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, where about 60 per cent of e-registered Singaporeans are located.

She added that over the next few days, MFA will also launch assisted overland trips for Singaporeans in Bahrain and Qatar to Riyadh, where there are commercial flights available to Singapore. 

"Beyond this, we will also be working with airlines and local authorities to explore the feasibility of further repatriation flights, taking into account flight routes and also the airports' reopening schedules." 

Gan also urged Singaporeans who are in the Middle East region to shelter in place, and to heed the advice of local authorities. 

Those who have yet to e-register with MFA should also do so, as this would allow the ministry to provide them with useful information, she added. 

The ministry said further updates will be provided on the social media pages of MFA's foreign missions. 

[[nid:730874]]

syarifahsn@asiaone.com