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UAE, Saudi Arabia ban citizens from travelling to Lebanon

The UAE and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged their citizens not to travel to Lebanon, days after Riyadh cut $4 billion in aid to Lebanese security forces.

The UAE Foreign and International Cooperation Ministry announced in a statement that it had raised its warning situation on travelling to Lebanon to banning travel there.

The ministry also decided to reduce the members of its diplomatic mission in Beirut to its furthest extent.

The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement calling on "all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary", the official SPA news agency reported.

Announcing the aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the State".

Riyadh was making "a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic", the unnamed official said, cited by SPA.

Photo: Yahoo