UAE, Qatar and Bahrain urge citizens not to travel to Lebanon

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar's foreign ministries called on their citizens on Saturday not to travel to Lebanon given the deteriorating security situation there.    

The UAE and Qatar also urged their citizens that are present in Lebanon to return to their country. The UAE asked its citizens in Lebanon to contact the country’s embassy in Beirut on the number 009611857000 in case they want to stay there for imperative reasons.

In related news, the Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens not to travel to Lebanon, calling on those already there to return to their country.        

Information made available to LBCI reported that the travel ban to Lebanon will only be limited to the three members of the GCC, i.e. Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain.   

Lebanese governmental sources voiced, through LBCI, their surprise over these measures especially that competent authorities are taking all the necessary measures, and are managing to contain the “limited” security incidents gradually. The sources kindly asked these three countries to reconsider their decision.    

In a statement to LBCI, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour hoped that Emirati officials back down on their decision given that the situation in Lebanon does not require that the Emirati people avoid coming to the country for “they have a special place in Lebanon, just like all Arab brothers.”