8 hours ago
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Barry O'ConnorBBC News NI
Reuters
Iran has retaliated with strikes on Israel and Arab Gulf countries
British and Irish citizens living in the Middle East are being encouraged to sign up to registration schemes.
The deputy first minister for Northern Ireland virtually attended a briefing with senior UK government security advisers about the situation in the region, alongside the first ministers of Scotland and Wales on Saturday.
Emma Little-Pengelly said people in Northern Ireland would be apprehensive about the situation in the Middle East.
Emma Little-Pengelly dialled into the meeting securely from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's headquarters on Saturday
"It's estimated there are around 100,000 UK citizens living and working and visiting in the wider region as well," she said.
"There's a lot of families, a lot of ones here at home that will be very worried about them."
"We want to do everything that we can to make sure our citizens in the Middle East region are safe.
"At the moment the advice very clearly is to shelter, to stay inside and to make sure that you're keeping up to date with that advice from the UK government."
Zach Cairns
Zach Cairns says tourists are understandably more concerned than residents
Strikes have been reported in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar's capital Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Zach Cairns, from Portadown in County Armagh, has been working as an optician in Dubai for the past six years.
Cairns told BBC News NI that he "heard some bangs before anything official came through".
"There were some messages came through from the local government, just advising that there was drone attacks incoming and where my house is, sort of at the back of Dubai, we did see some interceptor missiles go up.
"The general consensus in Dubai at the minute is almost, be careful, but pretty much go on as usual."
He said he was out for food with friends on Sunday.
"The general feeling is it's not going to last very long and that you are overall quite safe here with the defences and stuff that's in the UAE."
He added that "it would be worse if you were a tourist".
"The airports are closed so that would be a bit more uncertain and the other thing is I mean with Dubai most of the food and things are imported so if this was sort of something sustained where the flights were down then it would be more of a concern to residents."
What has the Irish government said?
Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee has urged Irish citizens to adopt a "shelter in place" strategy.
McEntee said: "A large number of Irish citizens, in particular in the UAE, are already on our citizen registration platform, with several hundred registering yesterday.
"I would encourage anyone in the region either resident or transiting to register.
"I am also aware of suggestions of consideration of land routes to neighbouring countries, such as Oman.
"However, I strongly urge citizens not to pursue anything other than a shelter in place strategy for now."
McEntee said this was the "common approach" across EU member states.
She added: "This is a unique consular situation, with a large number of citizens located in UAE in particular and with local and regional airports shut and, in some cases, under attack."
