# Middle East Travel Update: Dubai Cleared for Travel, but Conflict Continues > The UK, US, Australia and Canada have eased travel advice for Dubai and the UAE since June 2026, but the wider conflict is not over. Here's the current picture. - Canonical: https://budgetbro.app/blog/middle-east-travel-update - Published: 2026-03-17 - Updated: 2026-07-13 - Author: Nathan James - Category: Bro's Blogs - Tags: Dubai, Travel Updates, Featured, Disruption - Publisher: BudgetBro (https://budgetbro.app), free AI-powered travel budgeting app --- **Last updated: 14 July 2026** Quick answer: the UK, US, Australia and Canada have all eased their travel advice for Dubai and the UAE since mid-June 2026, and Gulf airlines are back to around 90 percent of their pre-conflict schedules. The wider US-Iran conflict is not over though. Strikes resumed in early July, so the situation can still change at short notice. This page has been rewritten to cut the day-by-day noise from earlier updates and focus on where things actually stand. Skip to the section you need. ## What's Changed Since Our Last Update The US and Israel-Iran conflict, which began on 28 February 2026, reached a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran in June, bringing a ceasefire that let governments start easing their Gulf travel advisories in mid-June. That calm did not hold. In early July, Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacked a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz and declared the strait closed. The US responded with fresh strikes on Iranian military targets on 11 and 12 July, and Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes on targets across the Gulf, including Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, as [reported by Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/12/us-launches-new-wave-of-strikes-against-iran-aimed-at-degrading-military). ## Is It Safe to Travel to Dubai and the UAE Now? According to current official advice, yes, with caveats. None of the governments below currently advise against travelling to the UAE. - [UK (FCDO)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates): lifted its warning against all but essential travel to the UAE on 18 June 2026. Still describes the situation as unpredictable, with attacks able to resume at short notice. - [United States](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/united-arab-emirates-travel-advisory.html): downgraded the UAE from Level 4 to Level 3, meaning reconsider travel due to the threat of armed conflict and terrorism. - [Australia (Smartraveller)](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/united-arab-emirates): downgraded from do not travel to reconsider your need to travel (advice level Orange), and notes strikes have hit targets in the UAE in recent days. - [Canada](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-arab-emirates): advises a high degree of caution, citing a volatile security situation and projectiles striking targets in the UAE. In short, the UK has gone furthest by fully lifting its advisory, while the US, Australia and Canada have downgraded theirs but still flag real risk. Check your own government's advisory before you travel, not just this article. ## Travel Insurance Standard travel insurance is generally keyed to your government's official advice, so now that the UK no longer advises against travel to the UAE, standard policies should cover UAE trips again. Australia's downgrade had a similar effect, reinstating standard cover for routes through Dubai, Doha, Manama, Tel Aviv and Kuwait City. Always check your specific policy's war and conflict exclusion wording given the region is still active. ## Airline Operations: Back Near Normal Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have recovered to roughly 90 percent of their pre-conflict flight volumes. Emirates now serves 137 destinations across 72 countries. Qatar Airways has expanded past 150 destinations. Etihad has added extra summer capacity and more aircraft. Western carriers are moving slower: British Airways is not due back until October 2026, and Virgin Atlantic not until winter 2027, so check directly with your airline if you are connecting through a UK or European carrier. - [Emirates: check current flight schedules](https://www.emirates.com/english/book/flight-schedules/) - [Qatar Airways: operational updates](https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/news-updates/2026/Operational-Update.html) - [Etihad: live flight status](https://www.etihad.com/en/manage/flight-status) ## The Conflict Is Not Over Easing travel advice does not mean the underlying conflict is resolved. The ceasefire that allowed governments to downgrade their warnings in June broke down within weeks, and fresh strikes and retaliation across the Gulf in July show the situation can flip quickly. Treat this as an ongoing, fluid situation rather than a closed chapter, and keep checking official sources close to your travel date. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is it safe to fly through Dubai right now? Current official advice from the UK, US, Australia and Canada does not advise against travel to the UAE, and Dubai's airports are operating close to normal schedules. The region remains volatile, so check your airline's status and your government's advisory before you travel. ### Is Dubai Airport open? Yes. Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) are both operating, with Gulf carriers back to around 90 percent of their pre-conflict schedules. ### Which airlines have cancelled flights between the UK and Asia? Most Gulf carriers, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, have resumed near-normal schedules. Some Western carriers are slower to return, British Airways is not resuming its Dubai route until October 2026 and Virgin Atlantic not until winter 2027, so check directly with your airline if it is not a Gulf carrier. ### What are the safest alternative routes between the UK and Asia? If your specific flight is affected, routes transiting through Singapore (SIN), Hong Kong (HKG) or Tokyo (HND) fly over Central Asia or the Pacific rather than the Gulf. Chinese airlines also offer routes over Russian airspace. Most Gulf routings are operating again, so this mainly applies if your booked flight is disrupted. ### Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled due to the conflict? Under UK and EU 261 regulations, if your flight departs from a UK or EU airport, the airline must offer a full refund or re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. Because this is classed as an extraordinary circumstance, you are generally not entitled to additional cash compensation for the delay itself. ### Will my travel insurance cover cancellations caused by the conflict? Now that the UK and Australia no longer advise against travel to the UAE, standard travel insurance should cover UAE trips again. Most policies still carry a war and civil unrest exclusion for anything more serious than a cancelled flight, so check your specific policy summary, especially given strikes are still happening in the wider region. ### Has anything changed since the ceasefire? Yes. The ceasefire that let governments ease their travel advice in June broke down in early July, when Iran attacked a ship in the Strait of Hormuz and the US carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets. Government advisories for the UAE have not been re-escalated as a result, but the situation is actively developing, so treat any advice, including this article, as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. --- ## Official Government Travel Advice - [UK: FCDO travel advice for the United Arab Emirates](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates) - [US: State Department travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/united-arab-emirates-travel-advisory.html) - [Australia: Smartraveller advice for the United Arab Emirates](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/united-arab-emirates) - [Canada: official travel advice for the United Arab Emirates](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-arab-emirates) Have an update or questions? 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