|
DUBAI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. ban on electronic devices in the hand luggage on direct flights from 10 international airports in eight countries of the Middle East and North Africa has triggered confusion and public outrage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a close U.S. ally in the Gulf.
Emirati Professor of Political Science, Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, tweeted "Not what you expect from a friendly country. The U.S. bans electronics on flights from MENA airports Israel excluded." Shilps C., a travel blogger from Dubai, tweeted "Such ridiculous bans!"
The move sparked also outrage outside the region. "What's the rationale behind it?" asked Olivier Guitta, the managing director of security consultancy Global Strat.
Local media reported the United States started on Tuesday banning electronic devices such as laptops and tablets from cabin luggage on certain flights originating from eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The biggest carrier in the Middle East Emirates Airline from Dubai said in an e-mailed statement the directive comes into effect on 25 March 2017 and is valid until 14 October 2017.
Emirates added it can confirm that as per the new security directive issued by the Transportation Security Administration, electronic devices larger than a cell phone/smart phone, excluding medical devices, cannot be carried in the cabin of the aircraft.
The new rule, which took effect on Tuesday, applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from 10 international airports in the cities of Cairo in Egypt, Amman in Jordan, Kuwait City in Kuwait, Casablanca in Morocco, Doha in Qatar, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Istanbul in Turkey, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the Associated Press reported, quoting an unnamed U.S. official.
German daily Die Welt quoted a U.S. security officer who spoke on the television channel NBC saying the move follows "an adaptation of the analysis of threats."
