03 Nov 2021 | 11:52 PM UTC
Lebanon: Bahrain and UAE advise all nationals to leave the country as of Nov. 3 as diplomatic row intensifies
Bahrain and UAE advise all nationals to leave Lebanon as of Nov. 3 as diplomatic dispute between Gulf Arab states and Lebanon intensifies.
Event
Bahrain and the UAE have called on all their nationals in Lebanon to leave the country as of Nov. 3 as a diplomatic row between the Mediterranean nation and Gulf Arab states intensifies. The guidance notably comes after Saudi Arabia banned Lebanese imports and expelled Lebanon's ambassador from the Kingdom Oct. 29. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen have also recalled their envoys from Beirut amid the diplomatic dispute. Additionally, the UAE has banned outbound travel to Lebanon; Saudi Arabia is also upholding its previous ban on outbound travel to Lebanon that it issued amid security concerns following the Oct. 14 sectarian clashes in Beirut.
Lingering travel restrictions and heightened geopolitical tensions are likely between Lebanon and Gulf Arab states over at least the short term.
Context
The diplomatic dispute comes after now-Lebanese Minister of Information George Kordahi's televised comments regarding the war in Yemen recently circulated widely online. Kordahi's remarks, which he reportedly made in August before his appointment to the Lebanese government position, criticized the Saudi-led coalition's military campaign in Yemen, with Kordahi calling the war "absurd" and alleging that Iran-backed Al-Houthi fighters are "defending themselves...against an external aggression." Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and others in Lebanon's government have intimated that Kordahi should resign over his comments to help defuse the diplomatic row; Kordahi has refused to apologize or step down as of early November.
Saudi Arabia, for its part, insists that the root cause of the diplomatic spat with Lebanon runs deeper than Kordahi's critical comments vis-a-vis Saudi intervention in Yemen. Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, the Kingdom's foreign minister, said Oct. 30 that the ultimate origin of the diplomatic dispute is Iran-backed Hizballah's dominance of the Lebanese political environment and the perceived unwillingness of Lebanese leaders to implement substantive reforms.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states' relations with Lebanon have been tense in recent years amid the increasing influence of Hizballah in Lebanon's government. While the Kingdom had previously spent billions of dollars in Lebanon, bolstering the Mediterranean country's security forces and seeking to counter Iranian influence, it considerably curtailed that aid in 2016.
Advice
Prepare for lingering travel disruptions between Lebanon and Gulf Arab states. Confirm flight reservations on routes between Lebanon and Gulf Arab states before departing for the airport. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Avoid discussing sensitive topics pertaining to regional politics in public spaces and outside of trusted contacts.