Saudi Arabia evacuates hundreds from Lebanon amid ongoing protests

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia announced that hundreds of nationals had been evacuated from Lebanon as massive demonstrations erupted across the country. 

The protests - which began on Oct. 17 - saw hundreds of thousands of Lebanese denounce the current regime, calling on the government to resign. 

The situation in the country was deemed "unstable and unsafe," though the protests witnessed minimal violence. This prompted Saudi Arabia's embassy in Lebanon to put into effect a "Crisis and Emergency Management Plan" to help nationals travel back to Saudi Arabia. 

The kingdom's ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari, said that hundreds of Saudis have already been flown out of the country in phases. On Sunday, 132 citizens were evacuated from Beirut while 260 nationals were helped back home earlier in the weekend. It's expected that the embassy will evacuate more people as Lebanon's rather peaceful protests enter their sixth day. 

Bukhari thanked Lebanese authorities and security forces for supporting the embassy's evacuation process. 

He explained "that accommodation, transport and security escort, in cooperation with the Lebanese Army Command and Internal Security Forces, have been secured to ensure the safe arrival of evacuees to the kingdom."

The ambassadors warned Saudi nationals - who are still in Lebanon - to avoid crowded protest areas. According to embassy officials, not one Saudi citizen was injured in the events taking place in Lebanon and that not one Saudi took part in the ongoing demonstrations. 

Over the weekend, many Saudis documented their evacuation from Lebanon on Snapchat and thanked officials for helping them get back home safe. 

On Sunday, it was reported that around 300 Kuwaitis were evacuated from Lebanon amid the ongoing anti-government movement. 

The evacuation came in response to an advisory issued by Kuwait's Foreign Ministry recommending that Kuwaiti citizens leave Lebanon immediately due to the "unrest." 

The UAE also helped its nationals leave the country over the weekend. In a series of tweets, the country's embassy in Lebanon revealed that it's facilitating the exit of Emiratis from Lebanon via a "pre-existing plan that deals with emergency situations."

Emiratis have also been warned against traveling to the country at the time being and until further notice.  

The demonstrations in Lebanon have been widely peaceful and even festive at times, with the exception of the clashes between protesters and security personnel on Friday evening. Protesters were targeted with rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, and many unarmed individuals have reported being arbitrarily beaten up and arrested by police and Lebanese Army personnel.

Many Lebanese have accused foreign media outlets of misrepresenting the ongoing manifestations and demonizing protesters.

The ongoing protests were partly triggered by the government's plans to introduce new taxes. Following the nation-wide demonstrations on Thursday, the country's telecommunications minister backtracked on a so-called "Whatsapp tax" scheme. 

The movement wasn't just a reaction to the proposed excise, but a response to the government's passivity, corruption and lack of proactive plans and solutions. On Saturday night, as people were hosting a protest party in Tripoli, the country's Lebanese Forces' parliamentary bloc requested that its four ministers in government submit their resignation. 

The country's largest protests took place on Sunday. On the same day, officials were still meeting with each other, scrambling to put out a new economic reform plan. On Monday, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the government passed a reform plan. However, protestors rejected it and continued to call on the resignation of all members who make up the country's regime.