RIYADH: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is reportedly drafting contingency plans to evacuate tens of thousands of British nationals should conflict in the Middle East intensify, according to several UK media outlets.
While estimates vary regarding the total number of Britons living in or travelling across the Gulf, the department said about 76,000 individuals have registered their presence in areas considered at risk.
The The Guardian reported that more than 50,000 of those are believed to be in the United Arab Emirates, many of them tourists or short-term business visitors rather than permanent residents. With Dubai serving as a major commercial and leisure hub, the reported closure of airspace has left travellers facing uncertainty over departure options.
The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran, Israel and Palestine. It also recommends avoiding all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Additional advisories caution against travel to certain regions of Pakistan.
According to posts from the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, nationals in the Kingdom have been urged to remain at home, while those in Jordan, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq have been advised to exercise heightened caution amid escalating regional tensions.
UK prepares evacuation plans as regional tensions rise
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