The British government has issued a new terrorism alert for Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying that terrorists are now ‘very likely’ to try to carry out an attack in the country.
The alert comes amidst rising tensions across the Middle East, although the threat against the UAE comes from multiple fronts, including from Yemen, where Houthi rebels have previously launched drone and missile attacks towards the popular winter sun spot.
Last year, one of those attacks killed three civilian workers at a facility close to Abu Dhabi and less than a week later, state-of-the-art American-supplied air defence systems intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen and targeting the UAE.
There was a further attempted missile attack towards the end of January 2022, although that was also thwarted by the UAE’s sophisticated missile defence system.
Although there haven’t been any reported attacks since last year, in an update issued on Sunday, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) now says the risk of a terrorist attack in the UAE has increased from ‘likely’ to ‘very likely’.
Official travel advice warns that “attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners” and that visitors should “maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places and at public events.”
In a similar message to its citizens in the region, several days ago, the U.S. Embassy in the UAE, told American travelers that there had been “an increase in threatening rhetoric online in the region”.
The U.S. State Department still maintains a ‘Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution’ travel advisory warning for the UAE due to the risk of a drone or missile attack.
Dubai is gearing up for its busiest few months of the year, with Britons flooding into the emirate to soak up the sun and all of the activities that the city has to offer. Emirates Airline will be adding an additional five-a-week service to Dubai from London Heathrow between October 31, 2023 and March 30, 2024, on top of the six daily Airbus A380 flights it already operates.
