Several Indians have stayed put in Iraq despite an advisory from the Centre asking them to leave in view of the war clouds that are gathering over the region.

"There is no sense of panic here. As far as the embassy staff is concerned, we will keep working for the time being. We have no plans to leave," the Indian Ambassador in Iraq, B B Tyagi, said on Tuesday.

The diplomats will have to look after the Indians who come for business and trade. "Indians on short visits here may be leaving, but generally they do not inform us," he said.

"Last week some four or five people came in. The people keep coming in on business to clear goods at the port or to complete other formalities," Tyagi said.

Visitors to Iraq have to take an eight-hour road journey to Jordan before flying back to India or other countries as no regular flights are allowed in under United Nations sanctions.

In spite of the war rhetoric, there is no panic in other West Asian countries. In Dubai, the richest horse race will be on as scheduled later this month.

In Abu Dhabi IDEX, the region's foremost defence exhibition is set to start on March 16.