The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has moved Ireland’s travel-advice for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to its highest “Do-not-travel” level after a third day of US-Israeli air-strikes on Iran prompted mass air-space closures across the Gulf.
Speaking to RTÉ on Monday morning (2 March), Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Government’s overriding message to the estimated 22,000 Irish residents in the region is to “shelter where you are and register with us”. He confirmed that 37 passenger services between Dublin and the Middle-East—principally Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways rotations—had been cancelled since Saturday, leaving more than 6,000 ticket-holders seeking re-routing or refunds.
For travelers scrambling to rearrange itineraries or obtain emergency documentation, VisaHQ can help fast-track visa applications and transit permits through its Irish portal at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/ The platform’s step-by-step guidance and courier options can save precious time, especially while many Gulf missions have suspended front-desk services.
![Irish Government urges citizens in Middle-East to ‘shelter-in-place’ as 37 Ireland–Gulf flights cancelled]()
Harris stressed that commercial evacuation flights remain the State’s preferred solution. “Our embassies in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha are feeding us hourly updates; the second we see safe corridors re-open we will make that information available,” he said. For now, land-border exits via Oman or Jordan are “not recommended” because of security concerns and potential bottlenecks.
Dublin Airport operator daa confirmed it is waiving change-fee surcharges for passengers forced to amend itineraries, while the Irish Aviation Authority has activated its crisis-cell to co-ordinate air-traffic diversions around restricted zones. Corporate travel managers have been told to invoke duty-of-care protocols for Irish staff in the Gulf, including daily check-ins and location tracking.
The disruption comes at the worst possible moment for multinationals gearing up for St Patrick’s week trade missions. Mobility teams are being advised to suspend non-essential travel to the region, budget for multi-stop routings via Istanbul or Muscat, and update assignment risk-assessments to reflect heightened conflict insurance premiums.
Speaking to RTÉ on Monday morning (2 March), Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Government’s overriding message to the estimated 22,000 Irish residents in the region is to “shelter where you are and register with us”. He confirmed that 37 passenger services between Dublin and the Middle-East—principally Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways rotations—had been cancelled since Saturday, leaving more than 6,000 ticket-holders seeking re-routing or refunds.
For travelers scrambling to rearrange itineraries or obtain emergency documentation, VisaHQ can help fast-track visa applications and transit permits through its Irish portal at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/ The platform’s step-by-step guidance and courier options can save precious time, especially while many Gulf missions have suspended front-desk services.
Harris stressed that commercial evacuation flights remain the State’s preferred solution. “Our embassies in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha are feeding us hourly updates; the second we see safe corridors re-open we will make that information available,” he said. For now, land-border exits via Oman or Jordan are “not recommended” because of security concerns and potential bottlenecks.
Dublin Airport operator daa confirmed it is waiving change-fee surcharges for passengers forced to amend itineraries, while the Irish Aviation Authority has activated its crisis-cell to co-ordinate air-traffic diversions around restricted zones. Corporate travel managers have been told to invoke duty-of-care protocols for Irish staff in the Gulf, including daily check-ins and location tracking.
The disruption comes at the worst possible moment for multinationals gearing up for St Patrick’s week trade missions. Mobility teams are being advised to suspend non-essential travel to the region, budget for multi-stop routings via Istanbul or Muscat, and update assignment risk-assessments to reflect heightened conflict insurance premiums.
