Macau’s government has issued a travel alert for numerous countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, due to the ‘continued deterioration of the situation’.
On Tuesday, the Macao Government Tourism Office notified that the lowest of the three-tier travel alerts has been applied to the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Oman. The authority also noted that residents who plan to visit Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen, or reside there, ‘are advised to stay vigilant for safety’.
The MGTO also urged residents to ‘avoid visiting Iran and Israel’, advising any residents currently in the two countries to leave ‘as soon as possible’. A level 3 alert – the highest in the system – was issued for Iran on February 28th and for Israel on March 1st.
The MGTO noted that it had received 18 inquiries or assistance requests so far in March, with nearly 80 percent involving Macau residents being stranded in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain, or reporting their presence in the Middle East to the authorities. Some 20 percent of the enquiries concerned refund and booking cancellations for tour groups that have not yet embarked.
Macau has three alert levels, with level 1 for emerging threats with ‘an imminent threat to personal safety’. The alert does not specifically warn against non-essential travel to the destination.
Wynn Macau’s parent company, Wynn Resorts, is currently developing the Wynn Al Marjan Island project in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, while MGM China’s parent company, MGM Resorts International, is developing a non-gaming resort in Dubai. Both companies have indicated they are working to ensure the safety and security of their employees as the projects progress.
