Urgent Security Alert Issued For Brits Heading To This Popular Holiday Destination
- What you need to know
- • British tourists heading to Dubai have been urged to remain vigilant due to escalating tensions in the Gulf.
- • The UK government says Dubai is at high risk of a terrorist attack.
- • Security officials say the situation in the Middle East could deteriorate with little notice.
An urgent security alert has been issued for Brits heading to Dubai this summer due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East after Israel launched a massive aerial attack on Iran in an attempt to thwart its nuclear weapon programs.
On Friday, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for the United Arab Emirates to alert British holidaymakers and the more than 240,000 Britons who call the UAE home.
Despite its reputation for being an incredibly safe country with very little violent crime or theft, the FCDO has warned Brits in Dubai, as well as Abu Dhabi and across the UAE, to be aware of the evolving security situation.
“Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region,” a new security alert posted on Friday warned.
The alert continued: “You should:
- monitor local and international media for the latest information
- be vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities,”
Along with the threat from an all-right war between Israel and Iran, the FCDO has long warned Brits about the threat of terrorism in the UAE, saying that crowded places, beaches, luxury hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers are all at risk of a terrorist attack.
The FCDO updated its travel advice for several countries across the Gulf region on Friday after Israel attacked nuclear and military sites across Iran, as well as some residential complexes where senior Iranian officials were said to be.
Iran has described the attack as a declaration of war and has vowed revenge on Israel.
Brits are not being encouraged to cancel or delay their holidays but should be aware that the security situation could deteriorate with very little notice.
In 2022, Abu Dhabi came under attack from two ballistic missiles that were intercepted by a sophisticated air defense system. The attack was blamed on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that it “condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to a statement published by the official WAM news agency.
The statement continued: “The Ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s position that enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states constitute essential principles for resolving the current crises.”
