“Pools are closed, they recommend not going to the beach.” What tourists are saying in the UAE and Qatar

Onliner.by writes about the situation in popular locations on March 3.

UAE

— We were vacationing in Dubai, Marina area. The flight was supposed to be today at 12:00, but it was postponed. We have to check out of the hotel. As the tour operator informed, we will be moved to a 3* hotel (lower standard) with breakfast. For the rest of the time, we have to find food ourselves. Of course, this is better than nothing, but what if people don't have money for food, then what to do? In our hotel, we had apartments; in the new one, it's unknown what kind of room it will be, — shared Alexey.

— We are supposed to return from Dubai on Thursday. So far, there's no information, they just told us to wait. We were asked to stay in hotels if possible. Pools are closed for visits. They also ask to refrain from visiting beaches, but not everyone follows this rule. Overall, everything is calm, no one is panicking. People are visiting shopping centers, cafes, driving cars. This morning we only heard two bangs near the coastline — air defense worked, — shared a tourist named Dasha.

For another Darya, the situation is more complicated: she organized the trip herself.

— We arrived on February 17, rented apartments. A Flydubai ticket back to Minsk for March 20 was purchased. We rented apartments at Address Beach Resort in Dubai, but yesterday we moved to Intercontinental in Ras Al Khaimah. It's quieter and calmer here.

Rooms here were snapped up like hotcakes. Our hotel is fully booked, the staff is struggling to cope.

But we spent the night of March 1 in the parking lot. Air defense systems were firing right above our building, and a notification came to the phone at night. Now loud bangs are also heard there.

Pavel and his girlfriend found themselves in similar circumstances.

— We were supposed to return on March 1. We've already changed tickets to a later date. But just now, a flight cancellation for the 3rd also came in. We'll change it for the 4th. This is a Belavia flight: the airline offered a full refund or ticket exchange. We'll keep changing until we fly. That's the plan for now. We don't live in a hotel, but rent an apartment on Airbnb. The owners gave a 30% discount.

Nina feels a bit calmer than our other interlocutors because she hasn't bought a return ticket to Belarus yet. Here's what the girl says about the atmosphere in Dubai.

— Yesterday and today, for the most part, everything is calm compared to the first day. There are products in the shops, I haven't seen empty shelves anywhere. But there are significantly fewer tourists on the streets than usual. I know that everyone is asked to stay in hotels if possible. There is no panic, however. As far as I know, registration for some flights has already opened in Abu Dhabi.

Eduard also did not contact a tour operator when planning his trip — he came to Dubai for a sports tournament.

— We arrived with a whole team. Flydubai tickets back for March 3. But there is no information from the carrier yet. Airports are closed, it's unknown how we will get there. Explosions are heard rarely and only closer to the beach.

They say that Dubai authorities should keep tourists in hotels, but we were told to vacate the rooms by tomorrow lunchtime. On the first day, everyone received a notification on their phone from the authorities: stay home, away from windows, do not go out. There was no panic. People are working, walking calmly on the street, transport in the city operates as usual. Our competitions were also not canceled.

Daniil went through registration, all controls, and was already in the Duty Free zone on Saturday when it became known that his flight to Minsk was delayed. From 11:10, it was first postponed to 16:00, and then completely canceled. Chats were immediately created to coordinate tourists. After 4 hours of waiting, they were assigned to a hotel. The young man called Belavia employees very engaged.

— It is understandable that we had to wait due to such a large number of tourists. As a result, we ended up in the room around 11 o'clock. But all hotel representatives treated us with great understanding. Later, a message appeared that the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism would cover the cost of stay for stranded tourists.

Belavia constantly reports new information to the chats, and the Consul of Belarus also monitors the situation. We also receive information from local sources that "everything is under control." Overall, everything is quiet. The most turbulent night was from the 28th to the 1st. Information came to the phone: go to the nearest shelter, await further instructions. It was truly terrifying.

You can leave the hotel, but at your own risk. The next information update was promised to us at 22:00.

Alena and her family of five were vacationing in Abu Dhabi. The tour was supposed to end on February 28.

— Upon arriving at Dubai airport by transfer on Saturday at 15:00, our car was not allowed into the terminal. They said all flights were canceled. We contacted the tour operator in Minsk and the local host. Huge thanks to them for their promptness! Within two hours, we were accommodated at the Barcello Business Bay hotel in Dubai, with breakfast and dinner included. We constantly stay on the hotel premises; overall, the situation is calm, and the work of air defense systems is sometimes visible in the sky.

Qatar

Veranika found herself in Doha these days.

— We were supposed to fly out on March 1 at 16:00. The tour operator gathered some tourists from our flight yesterday and accommodated them in one hotel, providing everyone with accommodation and meals — breakfast and dinner. The hotel is located near the old city, in the center of Doha, simpler than the one we had on our tour. But this is all at the expense of the tour operator. A representative of the host country is constantly in touch, solving all arising issues. Additionally, the Ambassador of Belarus to Qatar visited yesterday, reassuring tourists.

Regarding the flight, everything is complicated. I know that the Belavia aircraft is ready to fly for us. But as long as Qatar's airspace is closed, they can do nothing. So, all we can do is wait for news.

— The return flight will have a refueling stop in Aktau. They said that today at 20:10 there would be a departure, but for now, until 13:00, the airspace is closed. Qatar Airways canceled all flights for today. There's a high chance that we won't fly either. Overall, no additional payments were requested from us for either the plane or the hotel.

But for Victoria, who is also currently in Doha, the situation turned out to be much more complicated.

— We organized the trip ourselves. There was supposed to be a Flydubai flight with a layover in Dubai. But it's clear that it won't happen. Those who flew on tours will be picked up by Belavia. The rest were advised to wait for the airspace to open and try to buy tickets, but preferably through travel agents. But all we managed to find out is that all seats are sold out for tours.

Oman

Sasha's travel story turned out even more unexpected: he and his wife were returning to Minsk from Sri Lanka. They were supposed to fly with a layover in Dubai, but they didn't reach the intended destination — they landed in Muscat, the capital of Oman.

— On Saturday morning, we flew Flydubai from Colombo, landed in Muscat at noon, and by evening we were already checked into a hotel. Accommodation and meals are provided by the airline. The airport operates flights to Turkey, China, India, and Sri Lanka. But there are no tickets for the nearest dates. And buying new tickets with several layovers at our own expense would be very expensive. As I understand it, the airline is waiting for Dubai's airspace to open to send us there.

Of course, I tried to find out what we should do. But there is no Embassy of Belarus in Oman. I called the embassy in Egypt, where they said that no evacuation measures are planned and our airline should help us. So, for now, we wait. In terms of military actions, nothing is happening in Oman.

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