Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that currently, five special flights have brought Estonians home or on their way from Riga. "The special flight that departed from Dubai to Tallinn on Saturday arrived overnight and the FlyDubai flight this morning," he said.
"In a few hours, the Heston special flight will depart from Dubai and the last one in the evening, the FlyDubai special flight, to help those who wish to return home," said Tsahkna. He added that tickets for this flight are still being sold on Sunday morning.
"We have been working since last Saturday to bring our people home," said Tsahkna. He mentioned that many unexpected situations have arisen. "The conditions in the United Arab Emirates are volatile, and we are ready for plan changes," said the minister.
After seven special flights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not plan to organize more. "We are in constant contact with our European colleagues, and Estonians are also being placed on other countries' special flights," said Tsahkna. He added that regular flights are gradually resuming.
Tsahkna emphasized that safety is the most important. "Please, everyone still in the region, follow local notices and instructions," he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is helping Estonian citizens and their family members return home from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked those who have secured a seat on the special flight to note that flight tickets cannot be changed. The booking link may also reach those who have already returned home. In such cases, please ignore the booking link.
The ministry asked all Estonian citizens in the Middle East who have not yet registered to do so on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. If needed, contact consular services at konsul@mfa.ee or call the emergency number +372 5301 9999.
We continuously update the information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web consular page and the ministry's homepage at www.vm.ee.