Is it safe to travel to Dubai? UK’s latest UAE travel advice

One of the countries affected is the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Dubai, and with regular flights to and from the UK for this holiday hotspot, you might be wondering if it’s safe to travel there.

Not only is Dubai a popular destination for Brits, but it’s also used as a layover stop for passengers flying further to countries like Australia and New Zealand as well as countries in Africa and Asia.

Whether you have a flight booked already or are thinking about travelling to or via Dubai, it’s worth staying updated with the latest travel advice and warnings.

What is happening in the Middle East?

The US and Israel attacked Iran over the weekend, killing its supreme leader.

The first reported American casualties included three American service members as the US and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Saturday, February 28.

Five were seriously injured in military operations targeting Iran, the US military said.

Airspace closures in the Middle East have resulted in a number of commercial flights being grounded since the attacks began on Saturday.

More than a third of the flights scheduled to depart from the UK to the region on Monday were cancelled.

Analytics company Cirium said 49 of 144 flights were axed.

Airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet have changed their flight schedules this week.

Is it safe to travel to Dubai?

The UK government has warned people to avoid all travel to the UAE unless it’s essential.

This warning from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) extends to the whole country, so anyone travelling for a reason that is not absolutely necessary should rethink their plans.

It’s worth noting that if you ignore this travel advice, your travel insurance could be invalid should you need to make a claim.

Are flights leaving the UAE?

Some flights have left the UAE this week, including today (March 3), but airports are not operating a full schedule yet.

In a post on X, the Government of Dubai Media Office said on Monday afternoon (March 2) that airlines Emirates and Flydubai would begin operating a limited number of flights, with priority being given to customers with earlier bookings.

Some 15 Etihad Airways flights departed from Abu Dhabi in a three-hour window on Monday, which Flightradar24 said were “likely helping to clear transit passengers who have been stuck there since the start of the conflict”.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline continued to tell passengers not to travel to the airport unless they had been contacted directly and advised to do so.

How to check if your flight is cancelled

You can check the flight status of upcoming flights via the Dubai Airport website as well as the website of the UK airport you are travelling to or from.

Make sure to stay up to date with advice from your airline and look out for cancellation notices as well as delays and new flight times.

Are flights leaving and entering Dubai?

While some flights are still being cancelled, the flight status log for flights today is showing that some passengers have been able to leave and arrive into Dubai.

Departure cancellations include flights from Dubai to Ankara, Cairo, Bucharest, Riyadh, Tashkent, Moscow and more.

Departures going ahead include flights to Heathrow, Munich, Prague, Budapest, Milan Bergamo and more.

Arrival cancellations include flights to Dubai from Lahore, Bucharest, Timisoara, Singapore, Warsaw and more.

Arrivals going ahead include flights from Jeddah, Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi and more.

It’s worth noting that the flight schedules are reduced, so some flights to or from one destination may be cancelled while others may still go ahead.

What to do if you’re already in Dubai

Brits in Dubai are being told to “immediately shelter in place” as missile attacks have been reported in the UAE.

The UK government added: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

If you’re in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar or the UAE, you need to record your presence so you can receive updates and so the UK government is aware you are there – this can be done by the government website.

Sir Keir Starmer said the situation on the ground “may remain challenging for some time” but that the government was “looking at all options to support our people”.

The Prime Minister told the Commons: “We’re asking all British citizens in the region to register their presence so we can provide the best possible support and to monitor the Home Office travel advice, which is being regularly updated.

“Across much of the region, airspace remains closed, and local authorities are advising individuals to shelter in place.

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“The situation on the ground may remain challenging for some time, so we’re sending rapid deployment teams to the region to support our British nationals on the ground.

“And we’re in close contact with the travel industry and governments in the region, including with our friends in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), given the concentration of British nationals in that country, and we’re looking at all options to support our people.

“We want to ensure that they can return home as swiftly and safely as possible.

“The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) phone lines are open to provide consular support, and ministers are available to meet MPs to discuss any individual cases.”