The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and other countries across the Middle East on 27 October 2026, refreshing the section on regional tensions. It adds no new areas to avoid. The Foreign Office still doesn’t advise against travel to Dubai, Qatar, Turkey’s Mediterranean coast or Egypt’s Red Sea resorts.
The updated wording says the situation in the Middle East remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high. It says there have been strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran and others across the region since the conflict began earlier this year, and that British nationals in the region, or travelling through it, should be prepared for flight cancellations, airspace closures and other disruption.
For families with a trip booked over half-term or Christmas, the advice mostly affects flights. Airports and airspace can close at short notice, which matters for holidays in Dubai and Qatar and also for anyone connecting through Dubai or Doha on the way to the Maldives, Asia or Australia. The Foreign Office asks travellers to keep departure plans under review, keep passports and other documents up to date, follow the local authorities and sign up for its email alerts, which arrive whenever a country’s advice changes.
The Foreign Office also warns that travel insurance could be invalidated by travelling against its advice, so a change to the advice after booking can affect cover. Policies differ in what they pay when a flight is cancelled or airspace closes, and that is easier to check before departure than at the airport.
The areas the Foreign Office already advises against are unchanged and lie well away from the main holiday areas. In Turkey that means within 6 miles (10 km) of the Syrian border. In Egypt it includes North Sinai, the border with Libya and parts of the Western Desert. The country pages also explain what to do if told to take shelter, including staying indoors and keeping away from any drone or missile debris.
The current advice is on GOV.UK for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.
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