Seoul, March 7 (NationPress) A specially arranged charter flight is set to evacuate South Koreans from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this weekend as tensions in the Middle East escalate, according to the foreign ministry's announcement on Saturday.

The ministry confirmed that a 290-seat Etihad Airways charter is scheduled to take off from Abu Dhabi at noon on Sunday (local time).

Beginning early Saturday, the South Korean Embassy in the UAE will start accepting applications from nationals wishing to board the flight. Priority will be given to those who are critically ill, have severe disabilities, are pregnant, elderly, or traveling with infants.

This evacuation plan aims to assist approximately 3,000 South Korean nationals currently stranded in the UAE due to flight cancellations amid the rising conflict between Iran and the United States.

Earlier that day, South Korean citizens trapped across the Middle East due to the regional crisis are being relocated to safer locations with the help of local diplomatic missions.

According to the ministry, 65 South Koreans previously in Qatar successfully relocated to neighboring Saudi Arabia between Tuesday and Friday.

In Jordan, where commercial flights are still operational, 41 South Korean short-term visitors departed from Thursday to Friday. The South Korean Embassy in Jordan deployed a support team to an airport in Amman to aid with the departure process.

In Kuwait, 14 South Korean nationals along with one foreign spouse also made their way to Saudi Arabia with embassy assistance.

The ministry has extended its support to South Koreans in other regions, facilitating the movement of 25 individuals in Iran, 113 in Israel, 14 in Bahrain, and five in Iraq to nearby countries for their return home, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Previously, on March 6, more than 370 South Koreans returned home on the first direct flight from Dubai since the recent US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

This Emirates flight landed at Incheon International Airport near Seoul around 8:25 p.m., carrying 422 passengers, including 372 South Koreans. It marked the first direct commercial flight from the UAE's Dubai to Incheon since the conflict with Iran commenced last weekend.

The government had earlier consulted with UAE authorities to facilitate the safe return of South Koreans from the Middle East via direct flights.

Currently, approximately 18,000 South Koreans are believed to be in 14 Middle Eastern countries, including 4,900 short-term travelers, of whom 3,500 remain stranded due to flight cancellations, as per government data.

Returning travelers were seen embracing their family members at the airport, with many shedding tears of relief after days filled with uncertainty.

Others recounted experiences of hearing loud explosions from drone interceptions and bombings.