With its towering, glassy skyscrapers, mind-boggling human-made islands and luxury shopping, Dubai is a well-established holiday destination.
However, the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East is jeopardising the safety of travel across the region, and over the last two days multiple airlines have opted to cancel or temporarily suspend their operations. So, if you have a trip booked to Dubai, here is everything you need to know about travelling there.
Is it safe to travel to Dubai?
Though travelling to the UAE is not advised against, the FCDO’s safety and security page reads: ‘Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region. Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. Read FCDO advice if you’re affected by a crisis abroad.’
The latest on UAE flight cancellations
Emirates
Emirates announced on its website that all flights between Dubai and Beirut will be cancelled until at least October 8, and other flights to Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat and London Heathrow, due to take off yesterday and today (October 2 and 3) have also been cancelled.
Those travelling with the airline have been encouraged to check their flight status regularly, and the statement reads: ‘We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments.’
FlyDubai
FlyDubai has also announced cancellations of flights to Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Israel, citing the temporary closure of various airspaces. According to Alarabiya News, a spokesperson from the flight-tracking service FlightRadar24 said that flights were diverted ‘anywhere they could’, often changing direction to Cairo and Istanbul.
Qatar Airways
The Doha-based airline has temporarily suspended flights going in and out of Iran and Iraq, according to Gulf News. You can check all the latest travel updates on their website here.
Etihad
The operator announced cancellations of its flights to Beirut, and its statement reads: ‘This is likely to cause some disruption and delay to a number of flights over the coming days. Customers are urged to check the status of their flight on etihad.com. Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspace, safety is always our highest priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so.’
The airline encourages passengers to contact their customer service team or their travel agent directly for more information.
Where else has been impacted by the conflict in the Middle East?
The conflict area includes Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran and Lebanon, but the situation is escalating quickly – those with a trip booked should check local travel advice and with their trip provider thoroughly before heading to the region.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.