The Belgian government has launched a comprehensive repatriation effort for tourists and short-term visitors who are stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar due to the current conflicts in the Middle East and the associated airspace closures.
Since direct flights from the crisis region are currently considered too risky, Brussels is relying on a combination of land transport and flights via secure transit hubs. A key component of the strategy is the evacuation by land from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Muscat in Oman, and from Doha to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. From these stable locations, the affected citizens will either use commercial scheduled flights or be transported onward by provided military aircraft.
The Belgian Ministry of Defence has already mobilized military transport capacity to provide logistical support. Two Airbus A400M tactical transport aircraft and one Airbus A330 MRTT, with a capacity of approximately 250 passengers, are being deployed. These aircraft are not intended for direct return flights to Belgium from the immediate danger zone, but primarily serve to transfer evacuees to safer intermediate destinations such as Hurghada, Egypt. From there, passengers are expected to organize and finance their final journey home independently through commercial providers. The costs for the military flight segments will be billed to the passengers proportionally, in accordance with Belgian consular law.
Belgian authorities are working closely with European partners on this operation to leverage synergies. Initial groups of Belgian citizens have already been able to return home with support from the Netherlands via Amsterdam or through Luxembourg's evacuation efforts. Priority is currently being given to tourists and those with urgent medical needs, while Belgian residents in the region are being given lower priority for the time being. To ensure the coordination of bus convoys and flight capacity, all those affected have been asked to register on the government's international travel platform.
The situation on the ground remains volatile, however, as the safety of overland transport and the availability of air corridors must be constantly reassessed. In affected areas such as the Emirates, there is some discontent among travelers regarding cost sharing and the complex departure procedures. Nevertheless, the Belgian government currently sees the rerouting of passenger traffic to "safe third countries" such as Oman or Saudi Arabia as the only viable solution to guarantee the safety of its citizens as long as direct civil aviation in the Gulf region remains severely restricted.