Around 900 Belgian citizens have requested repatriation from the Gulf region as Belgium plans four flights this weekend to evacuate as many people as possible from the conflict-hit area, said Laurens Soenen, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot.
The first flight is scheduled to bring 184 Belgians back from Oman on Saturday. While it is currently on track, its status could change due to security concerns in the region.
A Dutch repatriation flight from Muscat, Oman, to Amsterdam was already postponed on Saturday because of the unstable security situation, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.
Belgium’s military flight, an MRTT aircraft, is due to depart from Oman at 22:00 local time (19:00 Belgian time) on Saturday. It will refuel in Hurghada, Egypt, before arriving in Brussels on Sunday morning. Alongside the 184 Belgians, 22 Spanish, 13 French, and 2 Swedish nationals will also board the plane.
Two additional Belgian military flights using A400M aircraft are planned to operate from the United Arab Emirates. These flights aim to transport around 100 people from Dubai to Hurghada on Sunday before an MRTT plane takes them to Brussels. This group is expected to reach Belgium early Monday morning.
A chartered flight by Cyprus Airways is also scheduled for Sunday evening. This plane will carry approximately 180 passengers from Dubai to Brussels, with a technical stopover in Cyprus.
Laurens Soenen emphasised that all flights are dependent on the evolving security situation. Currently, 900 Belgians have expressed their intent to leave the Gulf region. If this weekend’s planned flights proceed, 564 individuals can be repatriated. The remaining citizens will likely be evacuated later from Dubai aboard the A400M aircraft, he added.
