The UK’s Foreign Office has issued a stark travel alert. It came just before Iran’s launch of nearly 200 missiles towards Israel. Dubai, a popular getaway for British tourists, is now under the spotlight as tensions in the Middle East escalate. Many are asking if it is still safe to travel there.
Although there’s currently no travel ban against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – where Dubai is the largest city – but tourists are urged to keep a close eye on the conflict as ‘the situation is changing fast’.
“Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region,” the current advice reads. “Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.”
Aside from this, its officials also warn of a ‘high’ terrorist threat in the UAE which could impact ‘UK interests and British nationals’. It suggests that tourist hotspots like beaches, hotels, restaurants and ‘crowded places’ may be potential targets for these, alongside oil, military and residential sites.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals,” the advice adds. “Maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places and at public events.”
The UAE isn’t the only country on the Foreign Office’s travel warning list, with Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco also among those flagged, according to Manchester Evening News. Countless Brits are now evacuating Lebanon amid Sir Keir Starmer‘s fears over a ‘regional war’.
Iran’s attack this week was reportedly ‘the largest ballistic missile barrage on a state in history‘. It came in response to the ongoing bloodshed in Palestine and killings of senior Hamas, Hezbollah, and Revolutionary Guard figures.
Health officials estimate that more than 40,000 people have now died in Gaza over the past 10 months.
A full list of Foreign Office travel alerts is below
- Egypt
- Bahrain
- Algeria
- UAE
- Tunisia
- Syria
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Israel
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Qatar
- Oman
- Morocco
- Libya
- Iran
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
- Lebanon