The current situation in Dubai: safety, flights, geopolitical tensions – what is worth knowing?

An overview of the current situation in Dubai

Let's start by sketching out the situation. On Saturday, 28 February 2026, the US and Israel began bombing Iran as part of Israel's ‘Roaring Lion’ and the US's ‘Epic Fury’ operations. These pre-emptive strikes started the ongoing conflict between these countries. In response, the Iranian authorities decided to launch ballistic missile attacks on Israel and American bases in the Middle East: in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Importantly, the United Arab Emirates is not involved in the conflict; the UAE was not the attacking party, nor is it planning a counter-offensive. The Emirates is focusing on defence and protecting its citizens from unprovoked threats.

This text was published on 5 March 2026, on the sixth day of the conflict. We have gathered all the most important information about the current situation in Dubai and all the events that have taken place in the city, based on observations of the media and press reports from the UAE, people living in the area, and our own fieldwork. So what is the security situation in Dubai at the moment?

Safety in Dubai at the moment

Dubai is currently safe. Of course, safety is relative in a situation where you can hear the roar of an intercepted ballistic missile or drone, but life in Dubai can guarantee safety in the current situation. Virtually all restaurants, cafés, gyms and swimming pools are open. People are swimming at the beaches, the metro, buses and taxis are operating as usual without disruption, and 95% of the most important attractions are available to tourists. There is no panic, although anxiety is understandable and visible among residents at times, especially considering that this stress has been building up for several days.

Safety in Dubai is often misrepresented in the media through the prism of Ramadan. Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, is currently underway, and according to the rules of Ramadan, people fast, meaning they do not drink or eat from sunrise to sunset. This is why life slows down and there are fewer people on the streets. This has always been the case in Dubai during Ramadan, so rumours of a deserted city are false.

There are no shortages in shops. Shop shelves are full, and temporary shortages in popular supermarkets were solely due to increased online shopping as a result of fear during the first days of the attacks on the UAE. Unfortunately, there are many fake videos circulating on the internet, created by artificial intelligence, falsifying what is happening in Dubai. Do not believe everything you see on Instagram or TikTok. Videos showing huge flames on the Burj Al Arab or smoke on the Burj Khalifa are fake!

The government of the United Arab Emirates has also announced that in the first days of the conflict, it will pay for the stay of all those forced to remain in the UAE due to the closure of its airspace. In the following days, when flights resume, people will have to settle their bills themselves by collecting receipts and claiming compensation from the airlines.

Are attractions in Dubai open now?

Yes, most attractions in Dubai are open at the moment. You can visit the Burj Khalifa observation deck, shop at the Dubai Mall, take a guided tour to Abu Dhabi or explore Dubai with a guide, go on a Desert Safari or visit the Dubai Frame. The Museum of the Future and the Miracle Garden are open, and you can easily go to Palm Jumeirah to the Atlantis The Palm hotel or see the panorama from The View Palm Jumeirah. In the evenings, there are Dubai fountain shows. These are attractions that are officially permitted by the UAE government and only these attractions are offered by Two Continents. Yacht cruises in Dubai have resumed, and the Gold Souk and Spice Souk are still open. However, it should be remembered that some attractions are still closed: Ain Dubai is closed until further notice, Global Village is closed until further notice, and Motiongate Theme Park may still be closed. Throughout yesterday, growing crowds could be seen on JBR Beach at the Marina and JBR Walk.

Air traffic in Dubai

At the very beginning of the conflict, on Saturday, 28 February, the United Arab Emirates closed its airspace. For several days, all flights from DXB and DWC airports were cancelled, as were flights from other transfer hubs and major airports in the Middle East. On 2 March, after three days of conflict, the first aircraft (not commercial, but with passengers) took off from Abu Dhabi, which cut off the routes for the further resumption of flights from airports in the UAE.

For example, since the morning of 5 March, more and more planes have been taking off from Dubai International Airport. Among others, flydubai flight FZ1787 to Krakow and Emirates flight EK179 to Warsaw have departed, as well as flights such as flydubai to Belgrade, Yerevan and Milan, and Emirates to Accra, Casablanca and Paris. More and more planes are departing from Dubai airports, and the situation is stabilising. It is expected that the city's airports will resume 100% operations within the next few days, or in a pessimistic scenario, within a week or more. Departures and arrivals are safe, and in case of any doubts regarding flight safety, the UAE is creating special safe air corridors to protect aircraft flights.

What about Poles who are stuck in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and still cannot return to Poland from the UAE or cannot reach Poland due to a cancelled transfer in the United Arab Emirates? Most importantly, the Polish government has launched a special hotline +48 22 523 88 80 for people staying in the Middle East. Flights are gradually resuming, and carriers are required to inform passengers to report to the airport for their flight. Passengers are asked not to come to the airport if the status of their flight is unconfirmed.

Emirates has suspended regular flights until 7 March, but some of them are still operating, such as today's flight to Warsaw, and passengers are informed of this in advance. Air Arabia has extended the suspension of regular flights until Monday 9 March, but some of them are still operating, as is the case with Emirates. The same applies to flydubai, which resumed flights today, but some routes remain suspended. Wizz Air has cancelled flights from Abu Dhabi to Poland and is unlikely to resume them before October. The Polish government has decided to send two government planes to Oman to evacuate Polish citizens in need of medical assistance or urgent evacuation, also providing transport to Muscat airport. The same applies to travel agency customers, who are asked to contact their tour operators.

Current risk for Dubai

Is there currently a risk to health and life in Dubai? As in any area close to hostilities, there is a risk to people staying in Dubai, but at this point it is definitely very low. The first days of the conflict may have caused doubts and stress among residents and tourists, and the scale of the attack on the United Arab Emirates was unprecedented. As of 5 March 2026, normal life in the city proves that there is virtually no risk in Dubai, and citizens and tourists can feel safe as the UAE military monitors the threat situation in the country on an ongoing basis.

Statistics from recent days – incidents, intercepted missiles and drones

What are the statistics on missiles and drones intercepted by the United Arab Emirates? What incidents and accidents has the conflict in the UAE caused since 28 February? According to official statistics (latest as of 4 March 2026), the situation is as follows:

"The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that it has not made any decision to change its defensive posture in response to repeated Iranian attacks. The country stated that it had been subjected to over a thousand attacks, a number that exceeds the total number faced by all other target countries combined, noting that its armed forces had confronted these attacks with professionalism. The United Arab Emirates further confirmed that it had not participated in the war and had not allowed its territory, territorial waters or airspace to be used in any attack on Iran, in line with its policy of good neighbourliness and de-escalation, and in accordance with the United Nations Charter. In this context, the United Arab Emirates emphasised that it reserves its right to self-defence, guaranteed under international law and the United Nations Charter.

• The UAE reported that it had neutralised 186 ballistic missiles and 812 Iranian drones. The statistics are most likely from the end of 3 March or 3 March, but the number of incidents from Iran is definitely decreasing.
• A fire broke out at the US Embassy in Dubai as a result of a drone incident, but it was quickly extinguished and no one was injured.
• The UAE government reported that the attacks caused regrettable casualties: three fatalities among citizens of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and 68 minor injuries among citizens of the Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon and Afghanistan.
• Debris from ballistic missiles or drones struck the facade of the Fairmont The Palm hotel on Palm Jumeirah and Bur Al Arab, but the situations were quickly brought under control and there were no major fires or casualties.

The mood in Dubai

The mood in Dubai is changing from surprise and shock to positivity. There is more calm, people are no longer panicking, and they have confidence in the authorities and their protection of residents and tourists. Of course, in the first few days after 28 February, fear was completely understandable and no one felt safe, but our guides and people living permanently in Dubai are constantly reporting on the situation on the ground, showing that the city has calmed down and life is returning to normal. The situation in Dubai is presented on a daily basis by Paweł on the YouTube channel Two Continents. We invite you to read his reports on the situation, his courage and his excellent journalistic work.

The tourism industry in Dubai

How did the whole situation affect the tourism industry? In a negative way, of course, but that was not the most important thing in this situation. The most important thing was the customers and tourists, who were put in a stressful situation, often with delayed or cancelled returns home. In the first few days, Two Continents cancelled all planned trips and refunded customers' money, also offering large discounts on apartments or free accommodation in its own flats for those in urgent need. If you value our work, are our customer or want to be one in the future, and want to fly to Dubai in calmer times, we have introduced a Two Continents voucher worth 110% and valid for 5 years. When you buy a voucher, you receive 110% of its value – e.g. if you pay 1000 PLN, you have 1100 PLN to spend on services from our offer. The voucher is valid for 5 years, so you can use it when you have a travel plan and feel comfortable doing so.

Questions and answers (FAQ)

• Is Dubai safe now?

Yes, the situation in Dubai can be described as safe. Of course, safety is relative and the global situation is uncertain, but if your loved ones are in Dubai and you are concerned about their safety, you can rest assured. The sounds of intercepted ballistic missiles may cause concern, but they no longer pose a threat to the civilian population, and life in the city is 99% normal.

• Are bombs falling on Dubai now?

At the moment, there is no need to fear bombs falling on Dubai. Yes, there are still ballistic missiles or drones aimed from Iran at Dubai, Abu Dhabi or other cities in the United Arab Emirates, but they no longer pose a threat to the city and are neutralised by the Emirati missile defence system.

• When will regular air traffic from Dubai resume?

Air traffic in Dubai is gradually resuming hour by hour, with up to 100 flights per day already operating. This number should increase day by day, and in a few days or up to a week at most, air traffic is expected to be fully restored and the United Arab Emirates' airspace opened.