The United Arab Emirates renewed a travel warning to Lebanon and Syria, despite a visit by President Michel Sleiman to Abu Dhabi in which he called on the UAE to reconsider the decision.

The United Arab Emirates renewed a warning it had issued last month that its citizens should avoid travel to Lebanon and Syria, despite a visit by President Michel Sleiman to Abu Dhabi in which he called on the UAE to reconsider the decision.

Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Monday that the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement in which it “renews the call for its citizens to avoid traveling to the Republic of Lebanon and also to the Syrian Arab Republic in this time unless of emergency situation.”

The statement added that the advisory was issued “out of the ministry's concern for safety of UAE citizens.”

The Ministry’s undersecretary, Juma Mubarak al-Junaibi, urged UAE citizens to exercise “utmost caution and vigilance” should they travel abroad and said that they should keep themselves updated about latest travel information at the ministry’s website and register at “Tawajedi service” when they travel abroad.

In mid-May, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain called on their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and for those in the country to depart given the tense security situation.

Last week, President Michel Sleiman held high-level talks with officials in the UAE during an official visit to the Gulf country.
Prior to departing, Sleiman said that his visit aimed at discussing the UAE’s recent decision.