Some of the over 400 Hong Kong residents stranded in the Middle East, as the United States and Israeli militaries continued to launch airstrikes against targets in Iran for a third day on Monday, have expressed their concerns over their personal safety, and are hoping to make a safe return home, China Daily has learned.
Chan Yung-wa, a member of the Tai Po District Council in Hong Kong, said he had received a call from a friend who runs a retail business in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, a day after the first airstrikes took place.
Chan said that he hasn’t been able to reach his friend since receiving the call on Sunday. His friend had told him that they were contemplating evacuation options following local reports of missile traces in the area.
But Chan added that his friend had assured him that “panic’s not taken hold”.
US and Israeli warplanes began airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, killing the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an attack that sent shockwaves across the region. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles and drones at US and Israeli military installations across the region — in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Hong Kong authorities had by Monday afternoon fielded 432 inquiries from residents caught in the Middle East conflict, with all confirmed to be in safe locations.
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Chan’s friend had not contacted the Hong Kong authorities, but the businessperson had already approached the Chinese embassy in the UAE seeking to arrange a flight home. At the time Chan received the call, his friend informed him there had been large-scale cancellations of commercial flights in and out of the region.
Security Bureau has earlier updated its travel alert, advising Hong Kong residents in Iran or Israel to heighten vigilance, avoid crowds and put personal safety first as the situation in the Middle East continues to spiral. Non-essential travel to the region should be avoided, it said.
“A close encounter with the gloom of war” — but also with warmth from strangers. That was what Martin Yeung, a Hong Kong resident stranded in Dubai after his flight was cancelled, posted on social media on Sunday.
In the video post, Yeung recalled his Sunday evening in Dubai — alarms suddenly blaring at his hotel, as visible fire flashes and distant explosions’ rumblings punctuated the night. Guests filed calmly into the lobby from their rooms, “uneasy inside”, he said, but still in good order and smiling at one another for support. “I hope to return to Hong Kong safely,” he added, “and soon”.
Also among those left in Dubai was the Hong Kong women’s football team. The squad landed in the city on Feb 25 for the Pink Ladies Cup and was due to fly home Sunday. The Football Association of Hong Kong, China, on Monday confirmed the team remained “safe and stable” at their hotel but was unable to depart amid the surge in tension.
The association said the safety and well-being of players and staff remain its top priority, adding that it would work closely with the government authorities to secure the team’s safe return to Hong Kong once conditions allow.
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Chan’s friend told him they hoped for a safe evacuation on government charter planes, and if air routes remained closed, they would also contemplate land routes to Hong Kong or the Chinese mainland.
Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel, announced it has grounded its operations following a wave of Iranian strikes on Saturday.
According to the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, DXB and Doha’s Hamad International Airport have both ceased operations, leading to the closure of air corridors between Europe and Africa.
Passengers are safe for now, the council said, but the industry faces ongoing disruptions with no clear timeline for resumption of services, with each day of suspended flights leaving stranded more tour groups and individual travelers that were scheduled to transit through the region.
By 10:45 am on Monday, the Hong Kong Airport Authority had recorded 13 cancelations and one delayed flight because of the escalating tensions.
Chan said that his friend had told him he or she was safe when they spoke, and had added that the broader Chinese community in Dubai did not seem overly concerned about becoming enmeshed in hostilities or violence.
Chan said his friend intended to redirect capital from Dubai to Hong Kong because of the investment uncertainty now clouding the region amid the geopolitical turbulence, and was considering reducing their business footprint in the Middle East as a way of risk management against instability.
Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told local media on Sunday that some capital fleeing the Middle East conflict might seek refuge in the city, adding that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government stands ready to navigate any associated risks and market swings with sufficient contingency plans.
READ MORE: Chan: HK prepared for volatility in global financial markets
For businesspeople who find themselves caught up in escalating conflicts, the instinct is to relocate money early, even before people, and to look for stable jurisdictions, Chan said. Hong Kong offers great stability thanks to the backing of the Chinese nation, and enjoys high fluidity and movement of money enabled by the city’s legal system and through its established connections with global markets, he added.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
