The Foreign Office has issued a message to travellers about Dubai in the wake of the escalating Middle East conflict. Dubai, a favoured destination for Brits seeking sun, has come under the spotlight as Middle East tensions rise.
Many will be asking if it is still possible to travel there safely. Now the Foreign Office of the UK has sounded a serious warning.
It was issued just before Iran’s firing of close to 200 missiles towards Israel. While there is no current travel ban for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), British holidaymakers are advised to stay vigilant as ‘the situation is changing fast’.
“Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region,” the current advice reads. “Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.”
Furthermore, authorities have highlighted a ‘high’ risk of terrorism in the UAE, which may affect ‘UK interests and British nationals’. Tourist attractions such as beaches, hotels, eateries and ‘crowded places’ are identified as possible targets, along with oil, military and residential areas.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals,” the advice adds. “Maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places and at public events.”
The UAE isn’t the only country on the Foreign Office’s travel warning list, with Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco also among those flagged, according to Manchester Evening News. Countless Brits are now evacuating Lebanon amid Sir Keir Starmer’s fears over a ‘regional war’.
Iran’s attack this week was reportedly ‘the largest ballistic missile barrage on a state in history‘. It came in response to the ongoing bloodshed in Palestine and killings of senior Hamas, Hezbollah, and Revolutionary Guard figures.
Health officials estimate that more than 40,000 people have now died in Gaza over the past 10 months.
A full list of Foreign Office travel alerts is below
- Egypt
- Bahrain
- Algeria
- UAE
- Tunisia
- Syria
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Israel
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Qatar
- Oman
- Morocco
- Libya
- Iran
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
- Lebanon