The United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar — countries not involved in the current Middle East conflict — have expressed deep concern over the sudden halt in tourism from Russia, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov told reporters.
"Technically, Oman, Qatar and the UAE are not participating in this conflict," Vakhrukov noted. "I have been meeting with their respective embassies, and they are very concerned about the absence of our tourists."
The deputy minister clarified that travel to these regions remains restricted for Russian citizens. He explained that his ministry relies strictly on official guidance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine when it is safe to implement or lift such travel advisories.
This follows a recommendation issued on March 3 by the Ministry of Economic Development, which urged Russians to avoid the Middle East, including the UAE, due to safety risks. At that time, tour operators were also advised to stop selling travel packages to the region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS