The US Mission in the United Arab Emirates released a security alert on 20 September advising American citizens to “seriously reconsider” non-essential travel through the Gulf after Saudi forces intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile over Riyadh. The notice warns that further escalation could prompt sudden air-space closures and flight cancellations. Despite the advisory, Dubai International and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International reported normal operations on Sunday. Gulf News confirmed that flights to Riyadh departed on schedule, although flydubai and Air Arabia cancelled several services to secondary Saudi cities such as Abha, Hail and Jizan. Travel-risk consultancies note that most insurance policies do not automatically cover trip disruption caused by air-space shutdowns. Multinationals with staff transiting the region are updating duty-of-care protocols, ensuring travellers have local contact numbers and encouraging registration with their respective embassies. The alert comes as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz persist. Iranian officials reiterated that the waterway would remain closed until Tehran’s conditions are met, raising the spectre of further maritime and aviation disruption. Companies moving personnel or critical cargo via UAE hubs should prepare contingency routings via Muscat or Doha if necessary.
Source: Gulf News
