European governments are mounting increasingly complex efforts to help hundreds of thousands of their citizens escape the Gulf as the situation deteriorates amid Iran and Israel-US fighting.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar, home to some of the world’s busiest airport hubs, closed their airspace after Iranian strikes targeted their main transport infrastructure this weekend. At least one person was reported killed at Abu Dhabi airport, and seven others were injured. Strikes were also reported in Kuwait’s and Dubai’s airports, causing minor injuries and limited damage.

The situation has left tens of thousands of travellers in transit and EU expats stranded in Gulf countries, as major carriers like Qatar Airways and Emirates suspended most flights until further notice. Some have started operating a limited number of flights from Monday.

European embassies are grappling with an increasingly volatile situation as closed airspace and unpredictable strikes make it difficult to identify exit routes. Responses also vary sharply depending on the number and location of each country’s expatriates or tourists seeking to return home.

So far, only Germany, Slovakia, and Czechia have communicated evacuation plans for their citizens, with flights scheduled in the coming days from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman) and Amman (Jordan), whose airspace is still open.

The Commission can assist EU countries through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows them to request logistical support, expertise and EU co-financing for transport and other costs. In parallel, governments are coordinating at Council level through the Integrated Political Crisis Response framework, which brings together EU envoys to assess risks, identify gaps, share information and better align responses.

Here are the latest updates from EU countries.

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