UAE war practicalities: flights, beaches, fuel, Day 240

Day 240 of the US-Israel war with Iran arrived on Monday, Oct. 26, and the practical question for UAE residents was not diplomacy but delivery: which flights still operate, which beaches are closed, and when the next petrol price announcement lands. The crisis is testing the infrastructure that keeps the Gulf running, from shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz to airport terminals and fuel supply chains.

Transport is the most visible pressure point. Major UAE hubs, DXB in Dubai and AUH in Abu Dhabi, continue to operate, but passengers face ongoing select flight cancellations and schedule changes tied to regional disruptions and Saudi-related route adjustments. The suspended and reshuffled network extends across the region’s carriers in detail.

Saudi routes account for much of the disruption. Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia have all cancelled or adjusted Saudi services, with some suspensions running into November and December. flydubai flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha are suspended through October 29, and its Tel Aviv services remain affected following prior security incidents. Etihad has cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam and Riyadh through November 5. Air Arabia has cancelled flights from Sharjah to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif, with no specific resumption date announced. On the Indian side, IndiGo has cancelled Riyadh flights through Oct. 31, while Akasa Air has suspended Jeddah flights until Nov. 10. Iranian carriers’ flights to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice.

Saudi Arabia’s own infrastructure shows both damage and recovery. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport resumed flight operations on Sunday, Oct. 25, after a two-week closure following attacks on the Saudi capital, reopening terminals 1 and 2. Yet flight-tracking data showed that most scheduled departures remained cancelled despite the reopening. Under terminal arrangements announced on Saturday, terminal 1 handles domestic flights operated by Saudi national carriers and terminal 2 handles their international flights. The airport’s website listed several domestic and international flights for Sunday, including arrivals from Dubai, Paris and Cairo. Authorities urged passengers with confirmed bookings to contact their airlines to verify status before travelling. The Houthis claim attacks on airports and critical infrastructure, and say the airport remains a target; they say they targeted the city’s airport, whose shutdown has already disrupted regional travel. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh, a day after explosions rattled the capital and residents received hostile-aerial-threat alerts.

Meanwhile, there are signs of European routes returning. Lufthansa restarted Dubai-Munich and Frankfurt services on Oct. 25 and is gradually resuming Dubai-Frankfurt services on Monday, Oct. 26. SWISS returns to Zurich on Oct. 27, Eurowings from Nov. 1, British Airways on Nov. 4 and Austrian Airlines from Dec. 12. Aegean Airlines has also restarted direct Athens-Dubai flights.

Fuel and shipping sit at the center of the crisis’s operational picture. Brent slid 1.80% to $114.6, down $2.10 per barrel at 1.35 Beijing time on Monday, after hitting $116, its highest settlement since April 29. WTI crude dropped 2.06% to $101.1, while Murban climbed 3.16% to $118, reflecting market jitters around tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Hormuz’s management will not return to pre-war norms. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan said Tehran is open to talks under a Pakistan-brothered interim agreement from June and would reopen the Strait if Washington lifted its naval blockade; the two sides remain at odds over a wider settlement. US President Donald Trump said late on Sunday, Oct. 25, there would be no US strike on Iran, but warned fresh military action could be “possible” while suggesting a deal remains within reach, and renewed warnings that a nuclear-armed Iran would bring “death problems.” Iran’s foreign minister warned that renewed conflict would not change Tehran’s policies, while Netanyahu warns of attacks aimed at disrupting Tuesday’s Israeli elections, scheduled for Oct. 27, 2026.

Environmental delivery has also been affected. Ras Al Khaimah closed all beaches until further notice on Saturday, after an offshore leak prompted closures in Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah. The environment ministry says odors reported in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain pose no health risks. International maritime agencies say the leaking tanker, the Gem No. 2, was struck in a suspected Iranian drone attack on Oct. 9-10.

The UAE usually announces the next month’s petrol and diesel prices near the end of each month, so residents should watch for the November announcement around Oct. 31.

Elsewhere, the UAE condemned the Houthi missile attempts on Saudi Arabia, the AFC postponed Monday’s Al Nassr-Al Wasl match after travel disruptions, and the US maintains a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory for the Gulf. As of Oct. 26 coverage, no new UAE-wide guidance required changes to daily routines, though official advice to avoid unnecessary travel continues, and no direct security alerts or evacuations were active within UAE borders. Further background on the day’s developments is available at https://gulfnews.com/uae/us-israel-iran-war-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-today-oct-26-2026-1.500723631, and residents are advised to follow UAE authority advisories and avoid unverified social media reports. The most reliable operational step remains checking your own flight with the airline before leaving for the airport and confirming refund and rebooking options.