Travelling to the Emirates: How Safe Is Dubai Right Now, Really?

Symbolic image: Dubai skyline · Photo: CC BY 2.0

🔴 Updated 29 July 2026, 06:10. This article was originally published on 28 July 2026. Overnight, Iran struck again: the US military said it intercepted ballistic missiles in an attempted surprise attack on US bases in the region. Oil prices jumped. For travellers the core picture is unchanged: Emirates, Etihad and flydubai keep flying (Emirates at around 75–90 % capacity), some Gulf routes are cancelled, and rerouting around Iranian and Iraqi airspace adds one to three hours. Several European airlines have now extended their Dubai suspensions into October. The situation stays volatile and can shift at short notice.

⏱ 3 min read · As of: 28 July 2026

Few destinations raise as many questions right now as the United Arab Emirates. Emirates jets still leave Hamburg for Dubai every day, the beaches and hotels are open, life goes on. At the same time, Germany's Foreign Office is warning against it. So what holds? Here are today's facts.

What the Foreign Office says

In its travel and security advice (as of 24 July 2026), Germany's Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel to the United Arab Emirates. The reasoning: the security situation in the region is volatile. Despite a June 2026 declaration of intent between the US and Iran to end the fighting, military strikes against targets in the region are increasing again. The risk of escalation and of airspace closures persists – including for the Emirates. Austria (security level 2) and Canada strike a similarly cautious note.

One detail that often gets lost: "advising against non-essential travel" is not a travel warning, not the highest level. The actual travel warning for the Gulf states was lifted in spring. It is a firm call for caution, not a formal "do not go".

What actually happened

There were real incidents. In March 2026 a drone hit a fuel tank at Dubai airport and set off a major fire; flights stopped for a few hours and then resumed, with no injuries at the airport. In Abu Dhabi, one person was killed when a missile struck a civilian vehicle. On 12 July 2026 the Emirates said their air defences had intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. According to official Emirati figures, several people have been killed and more than a hundred injured in the country since the conflict began.

The Emirates sit in the middle of a conflict region. Unlike Qatar or Bahrain, which were also hit, they are not a calm harbour off to the side of it.

What speaks for a trip

The airspace is open again and flights are running. Emirates and Etihad fly their network without a blanket suspension, though with rerouting around Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace, which lengthens flights. The airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are open and largely working normally. Emirati air defences have intercepted most of the attacks so far.

Notably, several European airlines are more cautious than the Gulf carriers. Lufthansa and Swiss have suspended their Dubai flights until mid-September, Air France and British Airways are cancelling individual services. Europe's aviation safety agency EASA rates the airspace as high-risk. The Emirati airlines keep flying while Western ones pause – a contrast everyone can read for themselves.

Can it be justified?

Everyone decides that for themselves, and the decision looks different today than a year ago. Anyone who travels is entering a region with short-notice escalation, airspace closures and cancelled flights. The bigger risk for holidaymakers is not being hit themselves – air defences are dense and tourist areas were not the target – but being stuck when the airspace suddenly closes.

For those who still want to go: a flexible, rebookable ticket, registration in the Foreign Office's crisis list, travel insurance that covers such situations, checking flight status before heading to the airport, and avoiding large crowds.

In context: Dubai is a dream destination for many and a major hub. Day to day the situation is barely noticeable – yet a real residual risk remains, along with the danger of travel chaos. Those who do not need to travel are advised against it by the official guidance. Those with good reasons can fly with preparation and flexibility, aware that the situation can flip fast.

Own synthesis based on the travel and security advice of Germany's Foreign Office (as of 24 July 2026), Austria's BMEIA, and reports from Al Jazeera, Gulf News, Arabian Business and ADAC (as of 28 July 2026). This article does not replace official travel advice; only the day-to-day guidance of the Foreign Office and your airline is binding.