Due to the worsening situation in the Middle East, temporary travel restrictions have been imposed on citizens of Kyrgyzstan for the purpose of performing Umrah — the minor pilgrimage. This was reported by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (muftiyat).
It is reported that on March 7, an extended meeting took place at the building of the Spiritual Administration, attended by representatives of various government agencies, including the Security Council Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations under the President. Employees of the State Civil Aviation Service, airlines, and tourism organizations also participated.
At the meeting, information was presented about the urgent measures being taken by the government of Kyrgyzstan in response to the current situation in the Middle East. Participants emphasized that the safety of citizens must remain a priority until the situation stabilizes.
Issues regarding the safety of Kyrgyz citizens in Saudi Arabia were also discussed, including the possibility of their return home for those who found themselves there due to the current situation.
As a result of the meeting, a decision was made to temporarily restrict travel for citizens of Kyrgyzstan for Umrah until the situation stabilizes. Tourism companies and airlines have been recommended to suspend the organization of such trips until the situation normalizes.
Depending on the current situation, airlines such as Jazeera Airways, Flynas, and Air Arabia have begun to explore the possibility of resuming suspended flights on convenient routes.
The muftiyat had already called on Kyrgyz citizens on March 3 to temporarily refrain from traveling for Umrah until the situation in the Persian Gulf is resolved.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 2, about 22,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan are currently in the countries of the Persian Gulf. Of these, nearly 10,000 are in the United Arab Emirates, about 800 in Qatar, over 5,000 in Saudi Arabia, and around 100 in Israel. Approximately 1,000 Kyrgyz citizens are also in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
On March 7, the president's press secretary, Askhat Alagozov, reported that 134 citizens remaining in Qatar are scheduled to fly to Kyrgyzstan on March 8 via Saudi Arabia.
Previously, two flights from the United Arab Emirates brought 260 Kyrgyz citizens to Bishkek and Osh, and 210 people returned from Saudi Arabia. An additional 85 citizens of Kyrgyzstan were returned from Oman.
The joint military operation of the USA and Israel against Iran began on February 28. In response to these actions, Iran started launching airstrikes not only against Israel but also against the territories of several countries in the region.
The post "Temporary travel restrictions for performing Umrah — the minor pilgrimage have been introduced in Kyrgyzstan" first appeared on the K-News website.
