Kazakhstan Evacuates Nearly 1,000 Citizens from Middle East

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has announced the successful evacuation of hundreds of its citizens from escalating tensions in the Middle East. A special operational headquarters, established by order of the Head of State, is coordinating efforts around the clock.

As of today, 946 Kazakh citizens have been evacuated from conflict zones. Priority for evacuation flights is given to pensioners, children accompanied by parents, pregnant women, minors, and individuals with health limitations.

A flight from Muscat carrying 314 citizens is expected to arrive in Almaty shortly. A second flight on the same route is planned later for approximately 230 more people, meaning over 500 citizens will return home from Oman.

Additional evacuation flights are scheduled today from Jeddah to Atyrau and Aktau, which will repatriate 326 Kazakh nationals.

Evacuation efforts are not limited to air travel. Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions in Tehran, Ashgabat, and Gorgan facilitated the crossing of 15 citizens through the Iranian-Turkmen border by land, with further assistance provided for their journey to Aktau.

Furthermore, diplomats in Tehran and Yerevan organized the departure of the remaining 35 employees of the "Zarkukh" company from Iran via bus across the Iranian-Armenian border.

The ministry reports that there are thousands of Kazakh citizens currently in several Middle Eastern countries: over 4,000 in the UAE, more than 3,000 in Qatar, about 1,800 in Saudi Arabia (KSA), 163 in Israel, and 47 in Iran. Constant communication is maintained with them to provide necessary safety recommendations.

In light of significant airspace restrictions and ongoing hostilities, authorities strongly recommend refraining from travel to Middle Eastern countries until active combat ceases and the situation normalizes.

Kazakh citizens already in the region are urged to exercise heightened personal safety measures. They should avoid dangerous areas, follow instructions from local authorities, and maintain contact with Kazakh embassies and consulates as well as their tour operators or airlines.