UAE Embassy issues fresh travel warning for Sri Lanka
Citizens of the UAE were urged not to visit Sri Lanka except in urgent circumstances
Dubai: The UAE Embassy in Colombo has issued a fresh alert to travellers, warning them not to visit the South Asian country of Sri Lanka.
On its official Twitter account, the UAE mission said: “UAE nationals should not travel to Sri Lanka except in extreme cases. In the event of an emergency, citizens should call the embassy on +94 112-301-601, or contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation's call center on +971 800-444-44.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has imposed a travel advisory on Sri Lanka since April 21, 2019 due to the political unrest in the country.
The foreign ministry also urged passengers to register themselves and their families with the Twajudi service, which can be accessed on the ministry’s website or smart app, called UAEMOFA.
The service allows the ministry and its diplomatic missions to remain in contact with Emiratis in the event of emergencies and crises that might occur in the countries to which they travel.
When travelling abroad, Emiratis were also encouraged to register in the Musafir programme, a health insurance document that provides travelling Emiratis with coverage in the case of medical emergencies.
The travel advisory was issued ahead of next month’s presidential election that will take place on November 16. According to Reuters, the election is “likely to be dominated by security issues after a wave of suicide bombings claimed by Islamic State killed more than 250 people in April,” affecting the island’s critical tourism industry.