A crucial warning has been issued for travellers heading to Dubai amid the ongoing winter sun season.
Dubai is one of the most popular winter sun destinations around the globe and with the temperatures staying in the low 20s, it's the time of the year for locals and tourists to make the most of the outdoors.
Home to luxurious hotels, bars, manmade lakes and some architectural marvels such as the Burj Khalifa and Future of Museum, Dubai attracts millions of travellers each year. People from the UK also flock to Dubai during the colder months for the winter sunshine.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its advisory for people heading to Dubai or any other part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Foreign Office has urged travellers to "remain vigilant at all times" as the risk of terrorist attacks targeting UK citizens has "increased" amid the escalating violence in the Middle East.
The Foreign Office stated that "there is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets".
Along with the UAE, the FCDO's latest advisory also includes warnings about 17 other nearby countries, as a result of the "military activity" which is occurring in the Middle East. The other countries include Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and Qatar.
The Israel-Gaza war has caused the current unrest in the Middle East region. However, the joint military action undertaken by US and UK forces against Houthi fighters from Yemen has contributed to the FCDO's warning. The authorities are being apprehensive that the strikes could make British people more vulnerable to attacks when in the region.
"Military activity is currently underway in response to attempts by Houthi militants to prevent movement of international shipping in the Red Sea. While the area of activity is limited to the Red Sea and Yemen, there is a possibility that Travel Advice for nearby countries could change at short notice. You should continue to monitor Travel Advice and follow any relevant instructions from local authorities," read FCDO's travel advisory.
The FCDO also stated that the possible "terror attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners, including residential compounds, military sites, oil, transport, aviation interests, crowded places, restaurants, hotels, beaches, shopping centres and mosques".
This is not the first time the FCDO has warned people over travelling to Dubai. In October 2023, the UK Foreign Office had issued a similar travel advisory.
