First Emirati planes land in Beirut after travel ban lifted

Two Emirati passenger planes landed Wednesday at the Rafik Hariri International Airport after the UAE lifted its travel ban on Lebanon.

Flowers were distributed to the arriving Emirati citizens at the airport as they expressed joy for being able to visit Lebanon after the latest changes that the country witnessed, especially the election of a new president.

The Emirati travelers also noted that more of their fellow citizens will visit Lebanon during the coming days, lauding the warm welcome that they received.

Speaking at the airport, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the resumption of Emirati flights to Lebanon contributes to building confidence between Lebanon and the UAE, noting that ministerial committees are following up to resolve any obstacles impeding the travel of Gulf citizens to Lebanon.

“Lebanon is inclined to reactivate tourism and strengthen its ties with nations and it calls for encouraging travel to Lebanon. The country welcomes Emiratis and Gulf nationals and we’re waiting for them all,” Morcos added.

Lebanon’s Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported Tuesday that after the UAE allowed its citizens to travel to Lebanon, the fellow countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are inclined to follow suit in the near future.

“Intensive meetings are being held with political and security officials, most notably the meeting that PM Nawaf Salam will hold today (Tuesday) with the GCC ambassadors to explain the measures that the Lebanese state has taken at the airport, its vicinity and along the road leading to it with the aim of reassuring these countries before they take the ban lifting decisions,” the daily quoted a “highly informed source” as saying.

“Subsequent meetings will be held between a number of ambassadors and senior security officials to discuss the taken measures and remove any legal and security obstacles,” the source added.

The Emirati move came after President Joseph Aoun met with his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi last Wednesday, after which it was announced that the ban would be lifted.

In 2021, the United Arab Emirates imposed the travel ban and withdrew diplomats from Beirut in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, after a Lebanese minister criticized the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen.

Lebanese citizens were not banned from traveling to the UAE, although some experienced difficulties obtaining visas.

Ties between Beirut and Abu Dhabi had soured in the past decade over Hezbollah's influence on Lebanon.

But with the group weakened by its recent war with Israel, the UAE is the latest Gulf country to renew its interest in Lebanon.

In March, Saudi Arabia said it would review "obstacles" to resuming Lebanese imports and ending a ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon.