Hong Kong moves to repatriate hundreds stranded in Middle East as flights remain scarce

With more than 730 Hongkongers still marooned across Gulf airports, the SAR Government on 7 March 2026 activated an inter-departmental task force led by the Immigration Department and the Security Bureau to co-ordinate emergency passages home. The move follows days of cascading flight cancellations after the Iran–US–Israel confrontation emptied much of the region’s airspace and pushed carriers to ground or divert aircraft. Officials told the South China Morning Post they are negotiating with Emirates for block bookings on limited Dubai–Hong Kong services scheduled for the coming weekend.



For travellers and employers now scrambling to update or replace travel documents amid the disruption, visa specialist VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can arrange expedited Gulf transit visas, emergency passport replacements and real-time application tracking, providing an extra layer of support while normal flight schedules are rebuilt.

Cathay Pacific has already cancelled all Dubai rotations until at least 14 March, compounding the log-jam. Affected residents can now register via the 24-hour Immigration hotline, with priority seats to be allocated to minors, the elderly and medical cases. The Chinese foreign ministry said its consulates in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are ready to issue emergency travel documents should passports be lost during the chaos. The crisis is a stark test of Hong Kong’s post-pandemic contingency playbook. During Covid-19, the city operated 14 government-chartered rescue flights; this time, officials hope commercial capacity will suffice but have not ruled out charters via Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur if the standoff drags on. Employers with staff stuck in the UAE or Saudi Arabia are urged to arrange hotel extensions and ensure travellers register with the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit to maintain eligibility for any evacuation flights. Travel-risk consultants say the episode underscores the need for proactive tracking of mobile employees. “In the era of flash conflicts, HR and security teams must know not only where an assignee is today but where they are ticketed to be tomorrow,” notes Jason Fong of Global Guardian. Companies are reminded that Hong Kong’s Code of Practice on HR Management (2025 revision) regards duty-of-care failures in hostile environments as a potential breach of occupational-safety legislation.