MEA Fact Checks Report On India-UAE Fujairah Evacuation Pact, Calls It ‘Fake News’

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 12:34 IST

The MEA’s Fact Check unit issued a clarification and denied that any evacuation exercise was being planned.

General view of the Port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. (File/REUTERS)

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday dismissed a media report claiming that India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were working on an agreement to evacuate Indian nationals through Fujairah port, calling the report “false and baseless”.

In a post on X, the MEA’s Fact Check unit issued a clarification and denied that any evacuation exercise was being planned. “Fake News Alert!” the statement said.

“There is no basis in fact for such a story. There is no evacuation being planned.” The ministry also urged people to remain cautious about misinformation. “Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims,” it added.

The clarification followed a report that claimed India and the UAE were preparing an agreement “that will help in the evacuation of lakhs of Indian workers through the port of Fujairah,” and that the arrangement could be formalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming Europe visit.

The report had also stated that the Prime Minister was expected to leave for Europe on May 15 with a stopover in Fujairah before travelling to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

The statement from the MEA comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia. On Friday, the UAE confirmed that its air defence systems were responding to aerial threats after reports of disturbances across the country.

In a post on X, the UAE Ministry of Defence said, “the sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAVs”.

Authorities appealed to residents to cooperate with safety measures. “The public is urged to remain calm and follow the safety and security instructions issued by relevant authorities,” the ministry added.

Earlier the same day, the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) had issued a nationwide missile alert asking residents to take shelter as air defence systems intercepted incoming threats.

“Air defense systems are currently responding to a missile threat. Please remain in a safe location and follow official channels for warnings and updates,” the authority posted on X.

Missile and drone alerts have become increasingly frequent in the UAE since late February after coordinated US-Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Although a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, tensions in the region have continued.

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