Abu dhabi: A chartered plane to evacuate South Koreans from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will take off this weekend amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Saturday. The ministry announced the arrangement of a 290-seat Etihad Airways chartered flight, scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi at noon on Sunday (local time).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean Embassy in the UAE will begin receiving applications from South Korean nationals wishing to board the plane starting early Saturday. Priority will be given to critically ill patients, people with severe disabilities, pregnant women, the elderly, and infants.
This planned evacuation comes as Seoul seeks to bring home approximately 3,000 nationals stranded in the UAE due to flight disruptions amid the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States.