Dubai’s Status as a Travel Safe Haven Tested as Iran Strikes the UAE

Dubai has long positioned itself as a safe haven in the Middle East, politically neutral and open for business — and travel. 

But as Iran continued retaliatory strikes against countries with U.S. military bases, Dubai, along with neighboring Abu Dhabi, is now in the middle of the conflict. If it escalates further, there is a risk of leisure travelers deferring trips to the broader Middle East and MICE and corporate travel pausing amid uncertainty.

“The impact of airspace closures and widespread flight disruptions is being felt immediately, with our platform seeing a surge in rebookings, cancellations, and customer enquiries,” said Ross Veitch, CEO and co-founder of Wego, a UAE-based travel metasearch site. 

The Iranian regime sent missiles and drones across the Gulf for a second day on Sunday following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during attacks by the U.S. and Israel. 

The UAE Defence Ministry said S