UAE issues 25-29 Dec weather alert that may slow holiday travel and freight

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has placed the country on a five-day weather watch from Thursday, 25 December, through Monday, 29 December. A weak low-pressure system is expected to pull medium- and low-level cloud bands over the islands and northern emirates, producing scattered light-to-moderate rain in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and parts of Sharjah. Temperatures in Dubai are forecast to dip to 16 °C at night, while Jebel Jais has already recorded the season’s lowest reading of 3.5 °C.

Although the advisory is meteorological in nature, it has immediate mobility implications. Morning fog is likely on the E11 and E311 corridors linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and police have confirmed that they will impose rolling 80 km/h speed limits—and full closures if visibility drops below 50 m. Historically, such fog protocols add 30–60 minutes to the road journey and trigger departure delays at both DXB and AUH when pilots invoke low-visibility take-off minima.



Logistics operators are preparing contingency routings. Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Cargo have issued NOTAM-backed warnings that palletised perishables may be re-sequenced if de-icing is required. DHL and Aramex have advised e-commerce clients to expect delivery slippages of up to 24 hours on time-definite parcels bound for the Northern Emirates.

For tourism and events planners, the timing is awkward: Christmas markets, desert safaris and mountain-hiking tours are in full swing, while Dubai’s hotels are at 92 % occupancy. Organisers are advising guests to allow extra road-transfer time and to monitor airline apps for gate changes.

Finally, mobility managers should note that foreign visitors whose 30- or 60-day visit visas expire during the alert can now file for an online extension via the ICP Smart Services portal—avoiding the now-abolished “visa-run”—if poor weather makes an embassy visit impractical.