UK-based risk-management consultancy MS Risk elevated its Middle East threat level to “High” in a 7 March 2026 bulletin after fresh missile and drone activity near Dubai and Abu Dhabi forced temporary airport closures. The three-page advisory – circulated to multinational clients in Hong Kong and seen by this publication – lists partial resumptions at Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) but warns that Ben Gurion (Israel) and several Saudi gateways remain heavily restricted. Key guidance for travellers includes shelter-in-place instructions during alerts, pre-registration with embassies and readiness to move on short notice with minimal baggage. MS Risk notes that governments are planning evacuation flights but logistics remain uncertain amid rolling airspace notices. The briefing has triggered an immediate review of travel-approval workflows at several Hong Kong-headquartered banks and freight forwarders, according to corporate security managers contacted by Global Mobility News. Under the city’s Employee Work-Travel Safety Code, updated last year, organisations assigning staff to ‘severe risk’ locations must document risk assessments and provide real-time tracking. Insurance brokers say premiums for single-trip cover into the Gulf have already risen 25 % week-on-week, echoing the airfare surge flagged by Cathay Pacific (see separate story). MS Risk expects the regional security picture to remain volatile for at least two weeks and recommends that non-essential travel be deferred. Companies should “ensure Tier-1 emergency contacts are reachable 24/7 and pre-identify shelter locations,” the note says.
Source: MS Risk Travel Advisory PDF
