UAE Flight Updates 2 November: Saudi Cancellations, Airline Returns and Dubai’s New Tourist Visa Route

Monday 2 November 2026 brings another disrupted day for air travel in the UAE. Cancellations to Saudi Arabia continue across Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia. Delays also affect Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports. At the same time, Dubai has announced two major changes for visitors. Travellers can soon apply for tourist visas through the Visit Dubai website. A new invitation-only membership club will reward repeat visitors.

This guide brings together the latest flight updates reported by Gulf News on Monday morning, plus the tourism announcements made on Sunday 1 November by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. In addition, it lists the cancelled flights by airline, the delays at each airport, the dates airlines plan to return, and what passengers should do before heading to the airport.

What did Dubai announce for tourists?

Dubai announced two new tourism initiatives on Sunday 1 November. The first lets visitors apply for tourist visas through Visit Dubai, the city official tourism website, from November 2026. The second launches Dubai Access Club, an invitation-only membership programme for repeat visitors. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, announced both measures.

Both initiatives go live during November 2026. GDRFA Dubai, the Department of Economy and Tourism and Digital Dubai developed them together. The work sits under the Shared Digital Channels Initiative, which brings government services together through unified digital platforms.

The timing matters for the winter season. Dubai is heading into its busiest months for visitors, with the Dubai Fitness Challenge under way, ADIPEC opening in Abu Dhabi today, and the Sharjah International Book Fair starting on 4 November. The Dubai Ride 2026 guide showed how the city opened the season on Sunday, when thousands of cyclists took over Sheikh Zayed Road. The new visa route and the membership club are part of the same push to make visiting Dubai simpler and to bring travellers back again.

How will the Visit Dubai visa service work?

From November 2026, travellers will be able to apply for single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas through the Visit Dubai website. That is a change from the current setup, where visa applications run through separate government channels. Visit Dubai will now combine the visa application with the information and services travellers already use on the site, such as attractions, events, ticket bookings and travel itineraries.

GDRFA Dubai will remain responsible for assessing applications and issuing visas. The new service changes where travellers apply, not who decides the outcome. Officials plan further visa categories for the future, although they have given no dates for those yet. Officials expect to announce more details later, including the exact launch date inside November.

For travellers, the practical point is simple. The Visit Dubai website will become a single channel for planning a trip and applying for a visa, without navigating multiple websites, applications or entities. That is the aim of the Shared Digital Channels Initiative behind the change. Visitors should still check the visa information section on the portal before applying. For example, that section lists required documents, processing timelines and fee structures.

The announcement did not give a fee figure or a processing time. GDRFA Dubai and the Department of Economy and Tourism have published no figure so far. This guide will not guess at either number. Travellers should rely on the Visit Dubai portal itself once the service goes live, and on GDRFA Dubai for the official requirements.

What is the Dubai Access Club?

Dubai Access Club is a new invitation-only membership programme for repeat visitors. Dubai describes it as the world first city-led tourism membership programme. Members will receive exclusive experiences, services and benefits, with the aim of encouraging repeat visits and strengthening their connection with the city.

In addition, the programme will bring together exclusive offers and benefits that enrich the visitor experience and give travellers more reasons to come back. That is the full extent of the announcement so far. Officials have not published membership eligibility criteria, and they have not announced the full list of benefits either. Only invited members can join, so travellers cannot apply for membership in the usual way.

Officials have said the club will make returning to Dubai easier and more rewarding for frequent visitors. The initiative supports the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33, which uses technology, innovation and public-private partnerships to strengthen tourism. Officials expect to share further details later. This guide will carry an update when the eligibility rules and benefits come out.

For now, the honest position is this: officials have announced the club, but it has not opened yet. Repeat visitors should watch for an invitation through the channels Dubai uses for the programme, and should not pay anyone who claims to sell membership. Officials have announced no price, and no third party can grant access to an invitation-only club.

Which Etihad flights will not fly?

Etihad Airways has cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and the Saudi cities of Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh through Thursday 5 November. The cancellations are due to regional disruption, according to the airline update reported by Gulf News. Passengers booked on these routes should check their flight status on the Etihad website before travelling, as further changes are possible.

The affected services break down by city. No Abu Dhabi to Dammam flight will operate, in either direction. No Abu Dhabi to Riyadh flight will operate either, in either direction. On the Jeddah route, Etihad has cancelled flights EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604. As a result, the cancellation window runs through Thursday 5 November, which covers the next three days of travel.

Etihad is the Abu Dhabi-based national carrier, so these cancellations hit the capital airport hardest. Zayed International Airport still operates normally today, apart from the Etihad Saudi cancellations. The airport reports no other departure delays or cancellations. Several arrivals into Abu Dhabi run late today, and this guide lists those delays later on.

Travellers with Etihad bookings to Saudi Arabia should contact the airline about rebooking or refunds. The airline has not published a single rebooking policy in the update, so passengers should check their own booking for the options that apply. The Etihad Rail passenger trains between Abu Dhabi and Dubai guide is a useful fallback for travel between the two cities if a flight plan changes.

Which Emirates flights will not fly?

Emirates has cancelled several services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia on Monday 2 November, while other services on the same routes are still scheduled. In fact, the split between cancelled and scheduled flights shows why passengers must check their own flight number, not just the route. A flight to Jeddah may not operate in the morning but still fly in the evening.

On the Dammam route, Emirates has cancelled three Dubai to Dammam services and three return services. Dubai to Dammam flights EK823, EK827 and EK821 will not fly. Dammam to Dubai flights EK824, EK828 and EK822 will not fly either. No Emirates Dammam service will operate today.

On the Riyadh route, the picture is the same. Dubai to Riyadh flights EK815, EK819 and EK817 will not fly. Riyadh to Dubai flights EK816, EK820 and EK818 will not fly either. Passengers booked on these six services need to rebook or seek a refund through Emirates.

On the Jeddah route, the picture is mixed. Dubai to Jeddah flight EK801 will not fly, while EK805 and EK803 will operate as planned. Jeddah to Dubai flight EK802 will not fly, while EK806 and EK804 will operate as planned. Travellers on those services should still check the Emirates website before leaving, because schedules may change during the day.

What is the picture on the Medina route?

Medina looks different. Dubai to Medina flight EK807 has already arrived, while EK2537 and EK809 will operate as planned. Medina to Dubai flights EK808, EK2538 and EK810 will operate as planned. Medina is the one Saudi destination where Emirates runs a near-normal service today.

What about flydubai and Air Arabia?

flydubai is operating a mix of scheduled, estimated and arrived services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia, while several flights to Dammam, Riyadh, Abha and Tabuk have been cancelled. Meanwhile, passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia should check their flight status on the flydubai website before heading to the airport. The airline has warned that further changes are possible during the day.

The flydubai cancellations for Monday 2 November cover four Saudi cities. The airline has cancelled Dubai to Dammam flights FZ883, FZ869, FZ863 and FZ867, plus return flights FZ884, FZ870, FZ864 and FZ868. It has also cancelled Dubai to Riyadh flights FZ847 and FZ855, plus return flights FZ848 and FZ856. Dubai to Abha flight FZ813 will not fly, and neither will return flight FZ814. Dubai to Tabuk flight FZ881 will not fly, and neither will return flight FZ882.

Which flydubai Saudi services still run?

Other flydubai Saudi services still run today. Dubai to Medina flights FZ8387 and FZ897 show estimated times, while FZ827 shows a scheduled time. Medina to Dubai flight FZ828 has already landed, while FZ8388 shows a scheduled time and FZ898 shows an estimated time. To Ha il, flight FZ925 shows a scheduled time, and return flight FZ926 shows the same. The Gassim service FZ871 shows a scheduled time, and return flight FZ872 has already landed. For Jeddah, flight FZ831 has already landed, while FZ909 and FZ829 show estimated times, and return flights FZ832, FZ910 and FZ830 show scheduled times. Taif flight FZ873 shows an estimated time, with return flight FZ874 showing a scheduled time.

There is a gap in the information for nine Saudi routes. The flydubai website shows no flight-status information for AlUla, Gizan, Jouf, Riyadh, Nejran, Neom, Qaisumah, the Red Sea and Yanbu. Missing flight-status information does not necessarily mean the airline has cancelled or suspended the flights. Passengers on those routes should contact flydubai or check their booking directly for confirmation.

Air Arabia has cancelled multiple flights operating from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The cancellations affect services to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Bangladesh, Oman and Russia.

What has Air Arabia cancelled?

From Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia has cancelled Chattogram flights 3L061 and 3L062, Cairo Sphinx flights 3L383 and 3L384, Kuwait flights 3L020 and 3L021, and Salalah flights 3L267 and 3L268.

From Sharjah, the list runs longer. Air Arabia has cancelled Sharjah to Abha flights G9195 and G9196, and Sharjah to Riyadh flights G9151 and G9154, with returns G9152 and G9155. Kuwait loses flights G9068 and G9124, with returns G9069 and G9125. Doha loses flights G9040 and G9027, with returns G9041 and G9028. Dhaka loses flight G9514, with return G9515. Cairo loses flight G9583, with return G9584. Salalah loses flight G9390, with return G9391. Moscow Domodedovo loses flights G9950, G9956 and G9958, with returns G9957, G9959 and G9951.

Air Arabia has also cancelled other international routes from Sharjah today. Sharjah to Nairobi flights G9708 and G9709 will not fly. The airline has also cancelled Sharjah to Colombo flight G9587. Damascus flights G9363 and G9364 will not fly either. Bangkok flights G9845 and G9846 will not fly. Entebbe flights G9691 and G9692 will not fly. London Gatwick flights G9267 and G9268 will not fly.

What delays hit Dubai airports today?

Dubai airports report multiple flight delays and cancellations today. Services to Saudi Arabia carry the heaviest impact. Flights to and from Riyadh and Gassim include cancellations, while several international arrivals and departures run late. The update covers both Dubai International, known as DXB, and Dubai World Central, known as DWC.

Four arrivals into DXB run late today. Ahmedabad flight SpiceJet SG5116 now lands at 10.09am, not 8.50am. Yekaterinburg flight flydubai FZ980 now lands at 8.36am, not 7.45am. Jeddah flight Saudia SV590 now lands at 6.22am, not 4.55am. Gassim flight flydubai FZ872 now lands at 5.27am, not 4.55am. One arrival will not fly at all: Riyadh flight flynas XY215.

Departures from DXB show the same pattern, with Riyadh hit hardest. flynas has cancelled Riyadh flights XY201, XY202, XY210, XY216, XY217 and XY218. Riyadh Air has cancelled flights RX241 and RX243. flynas has also cancelled Gassim flight XY205. Two more departures will not fly: Tashkent flight Uzbekistan Airways HY3254, and Islamabad flight Air Sial PF784.

Which departures from Dubai are delayed?

Departure delays from DXB and DWC cover eight flights. Jeddah flight Saudia SV591 now leaves at 7.15am, not 6am. Islamabad flight Airblue PA211 now leaves at 6.15am, not 5am. Moscow Vnukovo flight Pobeda DP991, departing from DWC, now leaves at 7.32pm, not 6.10pm. Bangkok flight flydubai FZ1584 now leaves at 4.31pm, not 3.30pm. Astana flight flydubai FZ1396 now leaves at 3.21pm, not 2.10pm. Yekaterinburg flight flydubai FZ998 now leaves at 3.16pm, not 1.40pm. Chittagong flight flydubai FZ564 now leaves at 2.08pm, not 12.55pm. Amritsar flight Air India Express IX107 now leaves at 12.07pm, not 8.55am.

Above all, passengers should check the correct airport and terminal before travelling, particularly for flights departing from Dubai World Central. DWC handles a smaller share of flights, and it is easy to go to the wrong airport by mistake. The Nol card balance check online guide helps with the Metro and bus fares for the trip to either airport.

What delays hit Abu Dhabi airport today?

Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi reports delays to several incoming flights, including services from Tel Aviv, Paris, Lahore, Hyderabad and Indian cities. Departures from Abu Dhabi show no delays or cancellations today, apart from the Etihad Saudi cancellations covered earlier in this guide.

Most delayed arrivals into Abu Dhabi run under an hour late. Tel Aviv flight Etihad EY600 now lands at 6.40am, not 6am. Paris flight Etihad EY034 now lands at 7.35am, not 6.45am. Lahore flight Etihad EY285 now lands at 7.45am, not 7am. Hyderabad flight Etihad EY353 now lands at 7.15am, not 6.30am. Thiruvananthapuram flight Etihad EY265 now lands at 7.50am, not 6.55am. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flight 3L134 from Thiruvananthapuram now lands at 8.40am, not 7.55am. Chennai flight Air Arabia Abu Dhabi 3L142 now lands at 8.50am, not 7.50am. Kochi flight Air Arabia Abu Dhabi 3L128 now lands at 8.55am, not 7.45am.

Which Abu Dhabi arrivals face the longest delays?

Four more arrivals carry longer delays. Cairo flight Air Arabia Abu Dhabi 3L425 now lands at 12.10pm, not 8.05am, which is more than four hours late. Tel Aviv flight Etihad EY610 now lands at 12.25pm, not 11.15am. A second Tel Aviv flight, Etihad EY596, now lands at 12.30pm, not 12pm. Chicago flight Etihad EY010 now lands at 1.10pm, not 12.35pm. Boston flight Etihad EY008 now lands at 1.30pm, not 12.55pm. Lisbon flight Etihad EY100 now lands at 8.45pm, not 7.45pm.

Sharjah airport also feels the impact, mainly through the Air Arabia cancellations listed above. The UAE flight updates for 25 October showed a similar pattern a week ago, with Saudi routes hit hardest and delays spread across the other airports. The flight updates for 24 October covered the start of the disruption, so readers can compare how the picture has changed over the past nine days.

When are airlines coming back?

Some airlines are already planning their return to Dubai, while others have pushed their restart dates back. British Airways plans to resume flights on 3 November, which is tomorrow. Carriers expect to run up to 36 weekly Dubai to Europe services between late October and December, as they rebuild schedules for the winter season.

Other carriers have delayed their returns. Lufthansa now plans to return on 25 November. SWISS has not given a revised return date yet. Travellers still await the new date. Eurowings sits in the same position, with no revised return date yet. ITA Airways has suspended its services until 30 November. Singapore Airlines has extended the suspension of its SQ494 and SQ495 Dubai services until 28 February 2027, citing the Middle East situation.

Despite the disruption, Dubai departing seat capacity reached 7.2 million in October, up 23 per cent from June. The figure shows that the emirate still handled a large volume of departures last month, even as some carriers suspended services. The winter season, with its cooler weather and packed events calendar, is the period when airlines usually add capacity, so the return dates matter for travellers planning trips in November and December.

For instance, passengers should check directly with their airlines for the latest flight schedules and travel arrangements. Return dates have already moved once. In addition, they may move again if the regional situation changes. Treat no return date in this guide as a guarantee. The airline own website and booking system carry the latest position for each flight.

Why are flights still disrupted?

Regional tensions sit behind the disruption, and the airlines describe the cancellations as due to regional disruption. Gulf News reports that developments involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen and Gaza continue, and that the UAE has called for a diplomatic breakthrough while remaining prepared for further escalation. The UAE has also condemned attacks on maritime targets in the region.

The update carries an important caution. Not every disruption traces back to the conflict or the regional security situation. Some may be due to operational, technical or other reasons. Passengers should not assume that every delay or cancellation has the same cause. In contrast, the airline own statement for each flight is the reliable source for the reason.

Overall, this guide keeps the focus on the travel impact, not on the politics. The facts that matter for passengers are the cancelled flight numbers, the delayed services, the return dates, and the steps to take before travelling. The regional situation is fluid, and the flight picture can change within hours. However, the airlines update their own status pages first. That is why every section of this guide ends with the same advice: check the airline before you travel.

What should passengers do today?

The first step is to check your flight status directly with the airline before leaving for the airport. Do not rely on a news report alone, even this one. Flight statuses change during the day, and the airline website carries the latest position for your flight number. Also, check the status again shortly before you leave, in case the position has changed.

Allow extra time for airport procedures and check-in. Queues can build quickly when cancellations push passengers onto later flights, and rebooking desks get busy. Arrive earlier than usual, and keep your booking reference and passport ready. If the airline cancels your flight, contact the airline about rebooking or a refund before joining a long queue at the airport.

How can you stay updated on the day?

Monitor airline notifications for last-minute schedule changes. Airlines send updates by text message, email and app notification when a flight time changes. Make sure the contact details on your booking are correct, and keep your phone charged. Similarly, if you booked through a travel agent, check with the agent as well as the airline.

Check the correct airport and terminal, particularly for flights departing from Dubai World Central. DWC is a separate airport from DXB, and the two are about an hour apart by road. The Pakistan e-passport service in the UAE guide is worth reading if your travel documents need attention before a trip, since a passport problem at the airport is far harder to fix than one handled in advance.

Finally, keep the wider trip in mind. The next public holiday in the UAE guide helps with planning around the national occasions this month, and Flag Day falls tomorrow, Tuesday 3 November. If your travel is not urgent, a later flight may be simpler than a rebooking on a disrupted day. Above all, if you must travel today, the steps above give you the best chance of a smooth trip.

Frequently asked questions?

Are flights from the UAE to Saudi Arabia flying today?

Many are. Etihad has cancelled all Abu Dhabi to Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah flights through Thursday 5 November. Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia have also cancelled services to Dammam, Riyadh, Abha, Tabuk and other Saudi cities on Monday 2 November. Some services still operate, so check your own flight number with the airline.

Can tourists now apply for a Dubai visa through Visit Dubai?

Yes, from November 2026. Travellers will be able to apply for single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas through the Visit Dubai website. GDRFA Dubai will remain responsible for assessing applications and issuing visas. Officials have not announced the exact launch date inside November yet.

What is the Dubai Access Club?

Dubai Access Club is a new invitation-only membership programme for repeat visitors. Dubai describes it as the world first city-led tourism membership programme. Members will receive exclusive experiences, services and benefits. Officials have not announced eligibility criteria or the full list of benefits yet.

When will British Airways resume flights to Dubai?

British Airways plans to resume flights on 3 November 2026, which is tomorrow. Other carriers have later dates: Lufthansa on 25 November, ITA Airways suspended until 30 November, and Singapore Airlines SQ494 and SQ495 suspended until 28 February 2027.

Are there delays at Dubai airport today?

Yes. Dubai airports report delays and cancellations, with services to Saudi Arabia hit hardest. Arrivals from Ahmedabad, Yekaterinburg, Jeddah and Gassim run late, and departures to Riyadh, Gassim, Tashkent and Islamabad include cancellations. Check your flight status with the airline before travelling.

Are there delays at Abu Dhabi airport today?

Arrivals into Zayed International Airport run late on several routes, including Tel Aviv, Paris, Lahore, Hyderabad, Cairo, Chicago, Boston and Lisbon. Abu Dhabi reports no departure delays or cancellations today, apart from the Etihad cancellations to Saudi Arabia.