Canada Arranges Evacuations from Middle East

Canada is working to bring home more than 2,000 citizens stranded in the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the government is assisting Canadians by securing seats on commercial flights, arranging charter aircraft and providing land transport options to neighboring countries.

More than 2,000 Canadians have requested help leaving the region since the conflict intensified. Nearly half of those requests came from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, while others were reported in Qatar, Lebanon, Israel and Iran.

Anand said her office has directed officials to finalize agreements for charter flights departing from the United Arab Emirates in the coming days, pending approval from Emirati authorities to use the country’s airspace.

Canada has also secured 75 seats on a flight departing Beirut on Wednesday and plans to provide additional seats in the coming days for Canadians wishing to leave Lebanon.

Meanwhile, around 200 Canadians are being transported by bus from Qatar to Saudi Arabia, and authorities are arranging further land travel options for others seeking to depart Qatar.

Canadian officials are also providing information to citizens in Israel about bus services to Egypt organized by Israeli authorities, allowing travelers to reach airports that remain open in Egypt.

The evacuation efforts come as commercial air travel across much of the region remains severely disrupted.

Major transit hubs in the Gulf, including Dubai, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, have been closed for five consecutive days, marking the most significant travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic.