A major decision has been taken between Saudi Arabia and Iraq to safely send Iraqi citizens stranded in the Gulf countries back to their country. Due to the ongoing tension in the Middle East and closure of airspace, many people were stranded in countries like UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. Now these citizens will be sent to Iraq by road via Saudi Arabia through Jdeidet Arar Land Port. High-level coordination for this evacuation operation has been officially finalized on 13 March 2026.
Emergency visa will be available only at the border
To help the stranded people, the Saudi Arabian administration has approved issuing visas directly at the border crossing. Citizens coming from UAE will get visa at Al-Batha border and those going to Iraq will get visa at Jdeidet Arar border. This visa is being given only for evacuation i.e. to evacuate people safely. Officials have clarified that this visa cannot be used for Umrah or tourism. People have been advised to go directly to the border point following the rules of the Saudi Interior Ministry.
Private flight costs lakhs, road becomes support
Due to the ongoing dispute between Iran, Israel and America, the airspace of this area is largely closed. The cost of private air evacuation from Riyadh to international destinations has reached from 1 lakh 70 thousand dollars to 3 lakh 50 thousand dollars. It has become almost impossible for common middle class people to travel by air. In such a situation, this road route from Jdeidet Arar border has emerged as the safest and right option for thousands of people. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has also stated that they had directly contacted the Saudi government to rescue their citizens.
