The Catalan and Spanish governments are working around the clock to assist and evacuate thousands of citizens, including at least 1,200 Catalans, stranded in the Middle East after a sudden military escalation caught travellers and residents off guard. As regional airspace remains largely closed, authorities are urging all those in the affected areas to register with their respective embassies to coordinate a safe return.
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The rapid descent into conflict, sparked by a joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation across the Persian Gulf, shocked a region accustomed to a degree of stability. Major international hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, typically seen as safe havens for tourism and business, were directly impacted. The sudden closure of airports left tens of thousands of foreign nationals, including an estimated 30,000 Spaniards, unable to return home.
Governments Mobilise for Repatriation
In response to the crisis, the Spanish government has initiated an evacuation plan. Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, confirmed that a first flight carrying 175 Spanish citizens departed from Abu Dhabi, expected to land at Madrid-Barajas Airport on Tuesday evening. “Our absolute priority is to get all Spaniards who want to leave the conflict zone out,” Albares stated, assuring that his ministry would be working non-stop.
However, the logistics are challenging. Officials noted that with most regional airspace closed, they are considering land routes, though the vast distances present their own difficulties. “From Dubai to Riyadh, for example, the distance by road is over 1,000 km,” a ministry source explained to Catalan daily Ara. The situation is particularly tense in Iran, where 150 Spaniards reside, and in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts the largest concentration of 13,000 Spaniards.
Meanwhile, the Generalitat de Catalunya has identified 1,200 Catalans in the region but believes the actual figure is significantly higher. Jaume Duch, the Catalan Minister for Foreign Action, stressed the importance of citizens making themselves known. “These are the people we want to identify, so we have the means to know who they are and where they are, and to stay in contact with them,” he said. The Generalitat’s proactive stance is part of a wider effort to increase its international presence, a theme that has parallels with the ongoing discussions around the official status of the Catalan language in the EU.
Both governments are directing citizens to official channels. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges travellers to sign up on its national travel registry, while the Generalitat encourages people to use its register for Catalans abroad to receive direct instructions.
‘It Was Like a Movie’
For those on the ground, the experience has been a mixture of fear and surrealism. Gerard, a 27-year-old from Ulldecona, was visiting his sister in Doha when the airline cancelled his flight home. “On Saturday night, we very clearly saw five or six missiles intercepted and exploding on the horizon. It was spectacular, it was like a movie,” he told Ara via video call. Despite the visible danger, he noted the “apparent normality” on the streets below. “You don’t believe it at first… but as the hours go by, you realise it’s serious, and increasingly so.”
In Dubai, Jordi, a 24-year-old basketball coach from Barcelona, received an official alert on his phone: “Possible missile threat, seek shelter immediately in the nearest building and stay away from windows, doors and open areas.” He told reporters he heard distant explosions, but that tensions had eased slightly. “The Ministry of Defence insists in its messages that we shouldn’t worry, that the defences are working well,” he said.
Others were caught in transit. Gerard Gallejones, a Mosso d’Esquadra officer, was returning from a diving trip in the Maldives with a group of seven when they got stuck in Dubai. “When we were queuing to board the plane… they informed us the airline had cancelled the flight until further notice,” he recounted to La Vanguardia. Another traveller, Adriana, was on a three-hour layover in Abu Dhabi en route from Manila to Barcelona. She described hearing “loud and forceful noises” and her airline is now accommodating her in a hotel, waiting for a way home.
As diplomatic and military efforts continue, the immediate future for thousands of Catalans in the region remains uncertain. The primary message from officials is clear: stay safe, follow local advice, and register with consular services to ensure a swift and coordinated return.
