Foreign Office issues new travel advice for Dubai, Cyprus, Turkey | UK | News

British citizens are being advised to follow the latest travel advice and review their plans if they plan to reach Dubai, Cyprus, Türkiye and Egypt amid conflict in the Middle East.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its advice and now warns against travel to the UAE. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also added that those in places such as Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait are advised to seek shelter.

The UK Foreign Office also still advises against travel to the UAE. The travel warning states: “FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates. If you are in the United Arab Emirates, register your presence.”

Emirates canceled several flights on Monday after a drone crashed into a fuel depot near Dubai International Airport, causing a massive fire. The airport was temporarily closed while emergency services worked to control the fire. The airline now plans to operate only a limited schedule from 10am local time on Monday, March 16. British Airways recently issued a major travel update for customers flying to the UAE, announcing that flights to Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv have been canceled until at least March 28.

The UK Government does not have a current travel warning for the majority of Türkiye. However, the FCDO advises against all travel within 10 kilometers of the Syrian border due to conflict and the increased risk of terrorism.

On the subject of Cyprus, the FCDO said that although there is currently no advice against travel to Cyprus, the FCDO warns of the “increased risk of regional tensions” and possible escalation which could lead to travel disruption and “other unforeseen impacts”.

As for Egypt, it is recommended not to come closer than 20 kilometers to the Egypt-Libya border, except for El Salloum, where only essential travel is recommended. It is also advised against travel to North Sinai and also against non-essential travel into northern South Sinai beyond the St Catherine Nuweibaa road, excluding the main coastal resorts. Non-essential travel is recommended in Ismailia Governorate east of the Suez Canal and in most of the Western Desert west of the Nile Valley and Delta.

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A travel advisory earlier this week also warned against travel to countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan.

The UAE is still among the countries the UK Government has warned people should only travel to in essential cases. The UK is one of 69 countries with a travel warning for its citizens.

UK flights to the Middle East have been affected after a drone attack on Dubai International Airport earlier this week affected thousands of UK flights. The airport suspended flights after an Iranian drone crashed into a nearby fuel depot early Monday morning. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, sent fire and smoke billowing into the sky. No injuries were reported.

Many Emirates flights, including those from UK airports, were either diverted or cancelled. Many flights had to return to the UK after a U-turn. Passengers on a flight departing from London Stansted nearly reached Dubai but were diverted to Vienna, Austria. One flight from London Stansted was diverted to Vienna, while seven scheduled Emirates flights from Dubai to London Heathrow were also cancelled.