Gulf travel: latest announcements – Thursday 5 March - All Content

Sign up to our newsletters

Stay informed with the
latest news and analysis

REGISTER

عربي

You are viewing 2 of your 2 free articles

Dubai in the UAE

Air travel across the GCC has been disrupted since Iranian strikes began on 28 February, affecting more than 20,000 flights, according to flightradar24. Operations remain limited across UAE airports, while airspace in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain continues to be closed.

Countries worldwide are actively arranging charter services for stranded nationals, with many turning to land border crossings to access functioning hubs in Saudi Arabia and Oman. On 4 March, Ireland and Austria conducted their first repatriation flights, while British Airways’ flights from Muscat are fully booked until 7 March. Click here for all the latest flight suspensions and updates.

On 5 March, Emirates announced it will be operating more than 100 flights by 6 March with bookings now open. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is coordinating 48 flights per hour through emergency air corridors as operations, with Abu Dhabi’s Zayed airport also saying it is starting flights.

To accommodate stranded passengers, the UAE and Qatar are offering complimentary hotel stays and meals. Qatar Tourism is assisting nearly 8,000 passengers, while Abu Dhabi has provided 4,300 free hotel rooms across 74 hotels for 7,000 travellers to date.

Etihad Rail trials Abu Dhabi-Saudi passenger train amid travel disruptions

Gulf flight suspensions: latest updates – Wednesday 4 March

Stranded passengers are increasingly turning to land routes. In Saudi, borders with Qatar and Kuwait remain open, but the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain is closed.

In the UAE, Dubai-based transporter GH Trips is running daily bus services for Saudi citizens to Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and Khobar. Additionally, Omani carriers SalamAir and Oman Air are jointly operating shuttle buses from Sharjah to Muscat International Airport between 3 and 5 March.

Meanwhile, Etihad Rail has conducted its first passenger trial service, transporting more than 350 UAE citizens and residents across three journeys from the Al Ghuwaifat border on the Saudi border to Al Faya in Abu Dhabi.

Maritime tourism has also been affected, with MSC Cruises, Celestyal Cruises and Tui Cruises cancelling regional voyages for the remainder of the winter season. Celestyal is offering customers full refunds or cruise credits, while MSC is coordinating with airlines and authorities to arrange charter flights for affected guests. New line Aroya Cruises is also postponing its travel trade familiarisation trip, which was scheduled for 7 March.

Celestyal Journey in Dubai

As of 4 March, here are some of the key government advisories:

US: On 3 March, the Department of State issued an advisory for American citizens to depart 14 Middle Eastern countries using available commercial services due to “serious safety risks". This includes: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and US Consulate in Dubai also remain closed until further notice, following a drone-related incident near the Dubai consulate on 3 March. These follow similar closures of US embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which were affected by similar incidents.

UK: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises nationals to register their presence in affected countries and avoid areas near military facilities. The FCDO also notes that limited commercial flights from the UAE and Oman are available for those seeking to return to the UK. Visa Application Centres (VACs) in the UAE are also resuming applications from 4 March.

Singapore: In a social media statement, the embassy proposed a potential land evacuation route for nationals stranded in Qatar. The plan involves either a seven-hour bus journey to Riyadh or a 17-hour trip to Jeddah for onward travel to Singapore. Interested individuals are asked to complete the following form: go.gov.sg/middle-east-survey-of-intent

Saudi Arabia: GCC citizens stranded at Saudi airports can contact 992 or visit the Airports Passports Department for travel assistance.