Pet owners stranded in Dubai will be able to repatriate with their beloved four-legged ones after the Greek Foreign Ministry announced it is organizing a special flight for this purpose.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, the ministry said is it organizing the transport of approximately 50 passengers who wish to return to Greece together with their pets.
The move comes after several Greeks stranded in Dubai complained in letters to animal lovers’ websites that they wish to repatriate but not without their pets and that repatriation flights do not allow pets on board.
In her complain, Olivia Sahinidou stressed that their tried to get on board of an evacuation flight to Greece by Emirates Airlines last Saturday, March 7, but they were not allowed to carry their pets – cats in this case- despite the fact that they had all necessary documents, papers and permission with them.
Sahinidou who is currently in Abu Dhabi waiting to be evacuated told animals website zoosos.gr “there is a scheduled evacuation flight on March 11, but no pets are allowed onboard.”
She also pointed out to the increased number of abandoned pets in the UAE as many foreigners fled leaving their pets behind either because they could not take them with them or just abandoned them because they just didn’t care to proceed with the bureaucratic arrangements.
They spent years showing off their Dubai lifestyle. The moment it got dangerous, they abandoned the one thing that loved them unconditionally.
After Iranian missile strikes hit the UAE in early March 2026, thousands of expats rushed to leave Dubai. But as flights filled, a… pic.twitter.com/hsTJhPie13
— dominic dyer (@domdyer70) March 9, 2026
The cry for help triggered a mobilization on social media with users calling on Greek airlines to help in the situation.
Σε δύσκολες στιγμές οπως αυτη του κορωνοϊού οι ελληνες πολιτες σας στήριξαν @aegeanairlines
Τώρα υπάρχει αναγκη πτήσεων επαναπατρισμού για τα άτομα με κατοικίδια!@SKYexpress_air σας παρακαλούμε για βοήθεια. Δεν σας ζητάμε να ειναι δωρεάν! ΝΑ ΥΠΆΡΞΟΥΝ παρακαλούμε! https://t.co/rpa0SlCghz— Notorious (@Notorio_rbg) March 10, 2026
While in normal conditions airlines allow up to three pets on a flight, the transport of pets on special repatriation flights is carried out in strict compliance with the policy of each airline and they apparently deny the pets’ transport unable to deal with the situation.
In its statement the Greek Foreign Ministry reportedly said that “is proceeding with the organization of a special repatriation flight from Dubai for approximately 50 passengers who wish to travel with their pets, as part of the operations to remove citizens from the Middle East.”
The initiative aims to facilitate pet owners, as the issue of transporting pets has emerged as a key parameter for several of those seeking to return to Greece from the Middle East, the statement said adding that the flight will be carried out in strict compliance with all the prescribed procedures, in order to ensure both the safety and welfare of the animals, in full compliance with the applicable regulations.
The MFA also recalls that citizens who wish to be repatriated must, in the first phase, register on the special registration platform for Greek citizens corresponding to the country in which they are located – HERE on KTG is a list of diplomatic missions in the UAE and other countries in the broader Middle East..
Information about their movement to Greece, within the framework of repatriation operations, will follow at a later stage, based on the operational planning.
