Avoid wearing valuable items: UAE issues warning to citizens traveling to Europe

The United Arab Emirates has cautioned its citizens to remain vigilant in several European countries, including the UK and France, following an increase in theft reports from Emirati travelers.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged travelers to "exercise caution and vigilance" due to "the high number of thefts involving UAE nationals in Spain, Georgia, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Austria.

In a statement posted on X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a list of recommendations for citizens to avoid being robbed. These include avoiding valuable or rare items, keeping official documents secure at home, and booking cars and hotels through reputable global companies to prevent scams and fraud.

Additionally, the Ministry advises following travel guidelines specific to each destination, which are regularly updated on the UAE traveler page on the Ministry’s website and smart app. Citizens are also encouraged to register for the "Twajudi" service and save the emergency contact number for UAE nationals: 0097180024.

The warning came months after the release of "The Watch Register" database, which revealed the number of luxury watches stolen in Europe by the "Rolex gang."

These gangs are spread all over Europe, targeting people in high-end areas. The recent report showed that the number of stolen luxury watches "tripled" over the last year, with the value surging to 1.9 billion USD in 2023 alone.

In the past few years, Emiratis have expressed their feelings of unsafety in the UK, following several incidents of robbery and physical assault. One of the most shocking incidents occurred in 2014 when three Emirati sisters were attacked with a claw hammer in a London hotel.

And for now, with schools closing for the summer and temperatures in the UAE rising, Emirati families are traveling to different continents to beat the heat, according to data from Booking.com.

The UAE tops the list of countries with the highest percentage of families traveling to a different continent, the leading digital travel company said in its report titled "Booking.com Uncovers Family Travel Trends For Summer 2024."