Foreign Ministry hotline receives 1,880 emergency calls over summer

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Friday it had received 4,981 calls, 1,880 of which were emergency reports, through the phone line dedicated to UAE nationals abroad during the 2024 summer holiday.

The ministry added that 95 per cent of emergency reports were addressed in less than 20 seconds, with automatic redial technology activated in less than 10 minutes. Seven air and eight land transport operations were coordinated with the UAE National Guard and health authorities nationwide for critical medical cases.

The ministry issued several awareness alerts through the “Travel requirements by destination” feature on its website and smart application, in addition to text messages, emphasising the need to exercise caution in light of the natural disasters occurring worldwide and the importance of dealing with accredited companies to avoid fraud and scams.

During the travel season and summer holiday of 2024, the number of UAE nationals registered with the Twajudi service reached 10,431.

The Ministry stressed the importance of registering for the service, including all family members, particularly senior citizens and children, to facilitate communication during crises and emergencies, ensuring they receive assistance with returning to the UAE.

The ministry received 452 requests for the issuance of Return Documents, mostly for newborns and cases of expired or lost passports. During the summer, the customer satisfaction rate for the issuance of Return Documents and registration with the Twajudi service reached 96 per cent.

MoFA emphasised that it had prepared experienced teams qualified to tackle all sorts of emergency reports around the clock to ensure the safety of UAE nationals abroad.