At the same time, there is some genuinely good news for travellers. Airlines are restoring services to Dubai International Airport on European and Asian routes. Up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe will return from late October through December. Services to Athens and Manila are coming back too. The picture today is therefore a mixed one: serious disruption on some routes, steady recovery on others.
This guide brings together everything confirmed as of Saturday morning. It lists the cancelled flights and the ones still operating. You will also find your rights as a passenger in the UAE. Finally, it gives the exact steps to take before you head to the airport. The disruption picture can change quickly. Treat this as your starting point. Then verify your own booking directly with your airline.
Which UAE flights are cancelled today?
Here is the situation airline by airline, based on the latest updates published on Saturday, 24 October 2026. The airlines listed specific flight numbers for many routes. This guide includes them so you can check your own booking at a glance.
Etihad Airways: Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia cancelled through 5 November
Etihad Airways has cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and three Saudi cities: Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. The cancellations run through Thursday, 5 November. The airline cited regional disruption and warned that the situation remains dynamic, so further changes are possible.
On the Jeddah route, the cancelled services are EY601 and EY603 from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah. The airline also cancelled EY602 and EY604 on the return leg from Jeddah to Abu Dhabi. Are you booked on an Etihad service between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, Riyadh or Jeddah? Then look at the next two weeks. Assume the flight is not operating. Contact the airline for rebooking or refund options.
Etihad has told passengers to check its official channels for the latest updates. Do not rely on old schedule information, because the airline says changes may continue as the situation develops.
Emirates: cancellations listed on Dubai to Saudi Arabia services
Emirates has listed cancellations on several services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia. On the Dubai to Dammam route, the cancelled flights are EK823, EK827 and EK821. The airline cancelled EK824, EK828 and EK822 on the return leg from Dammam to Dubai.
Between Dubai and Jeddah, the cancelled services are EK801, EK805 and EK803 outbound. Emirates also lists EK802, EK806 and EK804 as cancelled on the return. For Dubai to Riyadh, Emirates lists EK815, EK819 and EK817 as cancelled.
The Medina picture is unusual and worth reading carefully. Emirates lists the Dubai to Medina departures EK807, EK2537 and EK809 as scheduled. The airline lists the corresponding Medina to Dubai flights — EK808, EK2538 and EK810 — as cancelled. If you are travelling one way on this route, the direction matters enormously. Verify the exact flight number and date.
Separately, Emirates says its codeshare operations with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv remain suspended until further notice. The update is dated 5 October. Emirates advises affected customers to contact their travel agent or the airline for assistance. Make sure your contact details are up to date in Manage Your Booking.
Passengers should verify the latest status with Emirates before travelling, because schedules and operating conditions may change. The airline’s flight-status page covers Emirates-operated services. If you have a connecting flight operated by a codeshare partner, check that carrier’s website directly.
flydubai: Riyadh, Dammam and Abha suspended until 29 October
flydubai has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha until 29 October, warning of further schedule changes to Saudi Arabia. The airline advises all passengers to check their flight status before travelling.
Some flydubai services on Saturday remain scheduled or estimated. These include Dubai to Gassim (FZ871) and the return (FZ872). Jeddah services cover FZ919, FZ831, FZ909, FZ829 and FZ807, with returns FZ920, FZ832, FZ910, FZ830 and FZ808. For Madinah, the airline lists FZ897, FZ8387 and FZ827, with returns FZ828, FZ898 and FZ8388. The list ends with Dubai to Tabuk (FZ881) and the return (FZ882).
Many other Saudi routes lack published status information. These include AlUla, Gizan, Ha’il, Hofuf, Jouf, Nejran, Neom, Qaisumah, Yanbu and the Red Sea. The airline’s listings on Saturday showed nothing for them. This does not by itself confirm cancellation. A missing status simply means the airline has not published the information. Check directly with flydubai for confirmation.
Here is one practical detail from the airline. Check-in counters close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, unless you have received an SMS or email saying otherwise. If the airline reschedules your flight, that message may carry a different reporting time. Read every airline message carefully.
Air Arabia: cancellations from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi
Air Arabia has cancelled services on multiple routes from both Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. From Sharjah, the cancelled Saudi services include Abha (G9195 and G9196). They also include Dammam (G9160, G9163 and G9167 with returns G9161, G9164 and G9168). Riyadh (G9151 and G9154) is on the list too.
The Sharjah cancellations go beyond Saudi Arabia. Cancelled services also cover Bahrain, Chattogram, Dhaka, Cairo-Sphinx, Sohag, Milan-Bergamo, Almaty, Kuwait, Bishkek, Doha, Moscow-Domodedovo and Yekaterinburg. The listing shows a Sohag return flight (G9618) as not yet departed rather than cancelled. Its status needs direct confirmation.
From Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia cancelled Dhaka services (3L063 and 3L064). It also cancelled Cairo-Sphinx (3L383), Sohag (3L413 and 3L414), Kuwait (3L020 and 3L021) and Faisalabad (3L315 and 3L316). The Dhaka to Abu Dhabi flight EY1367 appears as cancelled on the list. EY1366 from Abu Dhabi to Dhaka appears as not yet departed.
Passengers on any of these routes should check with Air Arabia for the latest flight information. Get rebooking guidance there before leaving for the airport.
What is the good news for UAE travellers?
Not everything is moving in the wrong direction. More flight options are opening up for UAE travellers. Airlines are restoring services to Dubai International Airport, including routes to Europe, the Philippines and other key destinations.
Up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe will return from late October through December. Airlines are also restoring services to Athens and Manila. Aegean has resumed direct flights from Athens to Dubai, giving travellers another option on that corridor.
The recovery is gradual and uneven, which is exactly why the daily updates matter. Last week’s cancellations may reverse next week. A route operating today may change tomorrow. The habit to build right now is simple: check the status on the day of travel, every time.
If you are planning winter travel from Dubai, the seasonal schedule changes are also worth watching. Airlines adjust frequencies every winter. This year’s adjustments are happening against an unusual backdrop. The usual assumptions about your regular route may not hold. Our guide on the next public holiday in the UAE can help you time trips. Use it to plan around the days when airports are busiest.
What are your passenger rights in the UAE?
Cancellations are stressful enough without confusion about what the airline owes you. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has issued a clear reminder. Check your ticket conditions before flying. Also review rebooking and cancellation policies and baggage allowances.
The DCAA’s position is clear on the process. Airlines must explain delays or cancellations and provide assistance under the applicable rules. As a passenger, you should first complain to your airline or travel agent. If the response dissatisfies you, you can escalate the grievance to the DCAA within 14 days.
That 14-day window matters. If your complaint to the airline goes nowhere, do not let it drift. Note the date of the airline’s final response and file the escalation while the window is open. Keep every document from your trip. Save your booking confirmation and the cancellation notice. Keep receipts for any extra costs. Record every conversation with the airline.
One more point the authorities stress: read your ticket terms before you buy, not after something goes wrong. Refundable and flexible tickets behave very differently from the cheapest promotional fares when schedules collapse. The fare rules you accepted at booking decide what the airline owes you.
What should you do before heading to the airport?
The single most important action today is checking your flight status directly with your airline before leaving home. Do not trust third-party apps, old emails or screenshots. Open the airline’s own website or app, enter your booking reference, and read the current status.
Beyond that, work through this checklist. First, confirm your travel documents are in order. A rebooking to a new date is useless if your passport or visa has an issue. You can check your UAE visa status online by passport number in minutes.
Second, make sure the airline can reach you. Emirates specifically asks customers to keep contact details updated in Manage Your Booking, and the same applies everywhere else. Schedule-change messages go by SMS and email. If your number is old, you will miss them.
Preparing for the journey and the airport
Third, have a backup plan for getting to the airport. If you are driving, remember one thing. Dubai has announced new speed limits on five major roads from 1 November. Fines for speeding are already steep. You can check RTA fines by plate number before you set off. If you take the metro, check your nol card balance online so a low balance does not slow you down.
Fourth, allow extra time and pack patience. Disrupted days mean longer queues at check-in, security and rebooking desks. Arrive earlier than usual. Keep chargers and essentials in hand luggage. Save the airline’s customer-service number in your phone.
Fifth, know where to get help at the airport. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport runs a 24-hour “Ask Me” service. It operates across the terminals to help passengers with queries and travel updates. The airport is also offering short- and long-term luggage storage for up to 15 days. You can use the Lost and Found and Baggage offices in the domestic and international terminals. If you end up stuck with bags you cannot carry, that storage option may save you a difficult night.
Why are so many flights being cancelled right now?
This is the question every stranded traveller asks, and the honest answer has two layers. The airlines themselves point to regional disruption. Etihad cited regional disruption directly when announcing its cancellations through 5 November. Gulf News compiled Saturday’s update, and it adds an important caveat. Not all of these disruptions are necessarily linked to regional security developments. Some may be due to operational, technical or other reasons.
The regional backdrop is real, though. Saudi Arabia has faced sustained attacks this month, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport. On Saturday, Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile heading towards Riyadh, according to the Saudi-led coalition. A drone interception also took place in the Eastern Province. The United States has been reducing diplomatic staffing across several Middle Eastern countries. Its State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
Separately, flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice. This includes Iran Airtour services to and from Dubai. Dubai to Tel Aviv services also remain affected following the 30 September security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073.
What does this mean for you as a traveller? It means the disruption has structural causes that will not clear overnight. Book flexible tickets where you can. Build buffer days around important trips. Keep monitoring the daily updates until the schedules stabilise. Travellers in the northern emirates should also check this week’s UAE weather. It brings rain and gusty winds, which can add delays on top of the cancellations. And if your plans involve the coast, remember that Umm Al Quwain’s beaches remain closed following this week’s oil spill.
Frequently asked questions
Are all flights from the UAE to Saudi Arabia cancelled today?
No. Cancellations affect many services. Etihad has cancelled its Abu Dhabi routes through 5 November. Emirates has listed cancellations on its services. flydubai has suspended its Riyadh, Dammam and Abha routes until 29 October. Air Arabia has cancelled its Saudi services. Some flights remain scheduled, though. flydubai still lists scheduled services to Jeddah, Madinah, Gassim and Tabuk on Saturday, for example. Always check your specific flight number with the airline.
How do I check whether my flight is cancelled?
Use your airline’s own website or app and enter your booking reference. That is the only status that counts. Third-party trackers and old confirmation emails can be out of date. Also check your SMS and email for schedule-change messages from the airline. Make sure your contact details in the booking are current.
What compensation can I claim for a cancelled flight in the UAE?
Start by reading your ticket’s fare conditions, because they decide what the airline owes you. The DCAA says airlines must explain delays or cancellations and provide assistance under the applicable rules. Complain to the airline or your travel agent first. If the response is unsatisfactory, escalate to the DCAA within 14 days. Keep your booking confirmation, cancellation notice and all receipts.
Is it safe to book flights to Saudi Arabia for November?
Cancellations already extend into November: Etihad through 5 November and several international carriers further into the month. The airlines describe the situation as dynamic. If you must travel, book flexible or refundable fares. Avoid tight connections. Check the status again in the days before departure.
Are Dubai to Europe flights operating normally?
Airlines are restoring services, but they are not fully normal yet. Up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe will return from late October through December. Athens and Manila services are coming back too. The trend is positive, but verify your own flight because restoration is gradual and route by route.
What should I do if I am stranded at the airport?
Speak to your airline’s desk first for rebooking, meals or accommodation under the applicable rules. At Riyadh airport, use the 24-hour “Ask Me” service in the terminals. Consider the luggage storage option (up to 15 days) if you need to travel light. Keep receipts for everything you spend. File your complaint with the airline in writing before the 14-day DCAA escalation window closes.
Saturday’s picture is clear enough to act on and fluid enough to keep watching. The Saudi routes face the heaviest cancellations. The European and Asian routes are steadily coming back. Your best protection is the boring, unglamorous habit of checking your booking on the airline’s own channels before every trip. Travel in this region has always rewarded the prepared. Right now, it rewards them more than ever.
