Travellers booked between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are facing another week of uncertainty. Airlines based in the Emirates are still adjusting their schedules, with Riyadh and Dammam the most affected destinations, even as some routes across the kingdom return.
Etihad’s longest suspension
Etihad Airways has cancelled all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Dammam through Thursday, 19 November. Its Jeddah service, by contrast, resumed on 6 November.
That split is a useful reminder that disruption is uneven. Some Saudi cities are back on the departures board while others are not, and the picture can change from one day to the next.
Other carriers
Emirates flights between Dubai and Riyadh and between Dubai and Dammam remain cancelled until at least 13 November, and Air Arabia’s Riyadh and Abha flights are also off until at least that date. Emirates cancelled several Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah services on 11 November, though other Jeddah and Medina flights operate. flydubai cancelled four Dammam flights, while its Jeddah, Medina, Tabuk and Taif services are running.
Gulf News’s daily briefing lists Riyadh and Abha as suspended through 16 November. It also reports that Emirates has partially resumed Dubai–Bahrain flights, while its Dubai–Kuwait route stays fully suspended. Iranian-operated flights to the UAE remain suspended, and Emirates and flydubai services to Tel Aviv are affected.
What the advisories say
The airlines are operating under a layered set of warnings. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s advisories covering Iran, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman are listed as valid until 16 November unless revised sooner. A French notice separately advises operators to avoid airspace over Arabian Gulf waters except where needed for arrivals and departures, and to keep risk assessments current.
Crucially, these are advisories for operators, not closures. UAE airspace itself remains operational.
The backdrop
The disruption sits within a regional conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel that Gulf News describes as being in its ninth month. The Strait of Hormuz remains a central pressure point, and the US military says it is enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran asserts control over the strait. Those competing claims have not been independently verified, and readers should treat them as stated positions.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported two attacks on commercial vessels on 10 November and another on 11 November.
There was one note of relief on the economic front. Brent crude futures slipped about 1.5 per cent to roughly $91.22 a barrel on Thursday, heading towards a two-month low as regional output rose and hostilities between Iran and the US stayed muted. Even so, the benchmark is still up more than 50 per cent this year.
Practical advice for passengers
- Check your airline’s app or website before leaving for the airport, especially on Saudi, Bahrain and Kuwait routes.
- Keep travel documents and emergency contacts to hand, and have a fallback plan for time-sensitive trips.
- Ask your airline about rebooking or refund options if your flight is cancelled.
- Follow official UAE authorities for verified instructions, and avoid sharing unconfirmed videos or claims.
What comes next
Three things will determine how quickly schedules normalise: whether diplomatic talks advance, whether shipping through Hormuz steadies, and whether the European advisories are renewed when they expire on 16 November. Until then, flexibility is the best strategy for anyone flying between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Comments 1