The FCDO updated its United Arab Emirates travel advice on 24 July 2026, citing regional tensions and, in its own words, "recent strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran".
The advice states that since 8 July there have been strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran in a number of locations across the region against US military and civilian infrastructure. It warns there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation, and tells travellers to prepare for possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The Foreign Office does not advise against travel to the UAE. Its standing line holds: no travel can be guaranteed safe, take sensible precautions, hold travel insurance and follow local authority direction.
For operators this is a movement-planning signal, not a stop signal. The exposure sits in the air corridor rather than on the ground in the Emirates: short-notice diversions, closed airspace and cancelled flights are the realistic disruptions to a principal's itinerary. Build alternate routing and buffer time into Gulf legs now, confirm insurance covers regional escalation, and keep FCDO country alerts live for any territory on the schedule.
