site.btaForeign Ministry Calls on Bulgarian Citizens in Middle East to Stay in Safe Locations

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry urges all Bulgarian citizens in Israel, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Lebanon to stay in safe locations, not to attempt risky travel to exit these countries through their land borders, and to strictly follow the instructions of local authorities, the ministry said.

Airspace is currently open over Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, and Jordan, although Jordan’s airspace is partially closed daily between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. until further notice. The situation is evolving rapidly, and conditions may change, the ministry added.

In response to the complicated situation in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry continues to work actively to ensure the most effective and safest options for assisting Bulgarian citizens who are staying short-term in the region.

Bulgarian citizens affected by suspended flights through Middle Eastern airports - but located outside areas of active military operations - are advised to stay in contact with their airlines or tour operators to arrange alternative routes through third countries to return to Bulgaria.

The ministry also reminds Bulgarian citizens planning trips to the region, or transit through affected countries, to take into account the current situation and the travel risk levels posted on the ministry's website.

The ministry’s crisis management team is operating around the clock to receive and process calls and messages from the region and beyond. Assistance requests can be made via the 24-hour lines of the Situation Centre and the newly opened lines of the crisis management team for Bulgarians stranded in the Middle East: +359 2 948 3051; +359 2 948 3052; +359 2 948 2085; +359 2 948 2087; +359 2 948 3124; +359 2 948 2798; +359 2 948 2552; +359 2 948 2086. 

The Foreign Ministry is in constant coordination with the Tourism Ministry, the Transport Ministry, and the office of caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov to provide timely support for Bulgarian citizens unable to return home.

For consular assistance, Bulgarian citizens can contact the diplomatic and consular missions in the relevant countries. In countries without Bulgarian representation, assistance may be sought from the diplomatic or consular missions of other European Union Member States for issuing an Emergency Travel Document.

Earlier in the day, the Tourism Ministry reported that 1,092 Bulgarian tourists had notified the Ministry that they were stranded in the conflict region. 

Also on Monday, Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza as part of the Board of Peace, wrote on Facebook that “the situation with flights in the United Arab Emirates remains complicated due to developments in the region, but there is also positive news.“ “The Civil Aviation Administration has announced that emergency flights will begin operating from airports to help stranded passengers return home. Flight schedules will be announced directly by the airlines for each destination,” Mladenov said. He urged affected passengers not to go to the airport without prior notice.

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran. US President Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to “take control of their own destiny.” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the joint Israeli-American attacks.