Assistance to Dutch nationals in the Middle East: a look behind the scenes

Blog post | 02-03-2026 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Assistance to Dutch nationals provided from within the Middle East region

Embassies and consulates are operating around the clock to help Dutch nationals. They are monitoring the security situation in each of the countries, are in contact with Dutch nationals and the local authorities, and are continuously working on the details of existing and new scenarios. Two of our colleagues in the Middle East talked to us briefly about their work right now:

Caroline Rietveld, deputy ambassador to Kuwait and Bahrain: ‘Today the developments are again unfolding rapidly. That means we have to be constantly alert. It really is all hands on deck. We want Dutch nationals to feel heard and informed, and we want the information flows to keep running smoothly. An important part of our work is to create an overview of the situation that is as up-to-date and complete as possible. Twice a day we hold a crisis meeting with colleagues in the region and at the ministry in The Hague. We also speak to EU partners to hear their assessment of the situation and to find out what steps they’re taking. We will stay alert. We will stay committed. And we will stay in contact, and put every effort into this, day after day.’

Adriaan IJsselstein, consul-general: ‘Here in Erbil we’re working hard to do exactly what we exist for as a consulate: helping Dutch people and Dutch businesses. We currently have two priorities: ensuring our team’s security and providing consular assistance to Dutch nationals. In the days ahead we’ll be speaking with representatives from other countries, local politicians and organisations that may be able to provide better insights into the events in Iran. Mainly to find out what else we need to prepare for.’

Assistance to Dutch people provided from the Netherlands

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Centre (DCC) and several ministry departments are working on matters including the travel advisories, information provision and the security situation with regard to Dutch nationals. The ministry has a flexible pool of staff who can drop their regular work in order to help out during a crisis. We often practise for crisis situations, so we now have a large team of staff that works together smoothly and efficiently. Read more (in Dutch) about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in crisis situations.

‘We’re working hard to provide information to Dutch nationals in the Middle East,’ says one of the members of the crisis team, who works on the travel advisories. ‘Lots of Dutch people want to know what they should do, or how they can leave the region. The need for information is great. Most crises involve just one or two countries, but in this case, a whole region is involved and there are more than 10 countries where Dutch nationals are stranded. So it’s a big job.’ 

Enlarge image