American diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) canceled all routine meetings for visas, passports and citizen paperwork through Wednesday as escalating military strikes in the nearby Strait of Hormuz heighten security concerns.
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai suspended the in-person services starting Monday. The alert states that services would be suspended until Thursday, although it remains to be seen if the notice is extended.
“If you have an appointment on those dates, Americans should not come to the embassy or consulate, we will contact you to reschedule,” according to a security alert issued by the diplomatic mission.
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The cancellations follow severe regional volatility, including recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iranian targets and mounting tensions in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the U.S. war with Iran.
In early June, the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi warned all American citizens to “exercise increased caution” while traveling throughout the Middle East due to what it was describing as “high tensions in the region.”
“The security environment remains complex and can change quickly,” last month’s alert reads. ”We remind U.S. citizens in the Middle East of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments.”
The State Department has encouraged all Americans to reconsider travel to Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia, as well as the West Bank. Americans are being actively told to avoid all travel to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Yemen, as part of the State Department’s four-tiered travel advisory system.
The ongoing military situation involving the U.S. and Iran, as well as recent bombing campaigns by Israel, has had wide-ranging impact across the Arabian Peninsula.
Why did the UAE cancel all passport and visa meetings?
This week’s cancellation of consular appointments is the latest development in the highly volatile “security situation” near the Strait of Hormuz.
Both the embassy and consulate remain on ordered-departure status, meaning non-emergency U.S. government personnel have already been relocated outside the UAE. Because of the reduced staffing, all routine U.S. visa services are suspended indefinitely, and only limited emergency assistance is available to Americans.
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Americans in the UAE are being told to maintain a low profile and avoid glass doors, windows and fallen debris in the event of an aerial attack, and stock up on food, water, medications and other essential items in case they are forced to take shelter for a prolonged period.
U.S. officials instructed citizens requiring urgent help to use the online Citizen Services Navigator rather than visiting the diplomatic facilities.
Americans in the country are urged to enroll in the State Department travel enrollment program to receive direct security updates and to keep their cellphones charged and programmed with local emergency numbers, which can be found below:
- Emergency services in UAE: 999
- U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi emergency number: +971-2-414-2200
- U.S. Consulate General Dubai emergency number: +971-4-309-4000
- State Department – Consular Affairs: +1-888-407-4747 (in U.S. and Canada) or +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad)
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai through a dedicated website.
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