Like many other travellers, construction consultant Yen Kwok and her husband were stranded in the Middle East when war started
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenDanny MokandOscar LiuPublished: 10:27pm, 9 Mar 2026Updated: 10:43pm, 9 Mar 2026As hundreds of Hongkongers stranded in the Middle East scramble for air tickets home with the US-Israel war on Iran entering its 10th day, a local couple spent nearly HK$50,000 on a direct flight back after repeated failed booking attempts and a cancellation blunder caused by mental exhaustion.Yen Kwok, 35, a construction consultant, began a trip to Dubai with round-trip tickets on the carrier Emirates, from February 20 to March 1, with her husband.
But like many other travellers, they were forced to extend their stay after tens of thousands of flights were disrupted in the Gulf region following the launch of the US-Israel military operations against Iran on February 28.
As of Monday, the Immigration Department had received about 830 inquiries from Hongkongers in the region. Nearly 420 had safely left, while the rest reported being in secure locations.
Iran war sends oil prices surging, prompting panic buying and rationing in parts of Asia
Iran war sends oil prices surging, prompting panic buying and rationing in parts of AsiaKwok initially managed to secure two one-way tickets with Emirates back to Hong Kong for March 4, but she said she cancelled them by mistake through mental fatigue by filling in an airline form incorrectly.
