Dubai Implements 'No Eviction' Policy for Hotels Amid Travel Chaos
Authorities in Dubai have issued an urgent directive to hotels across the emirate, mandating that they must not evict tourists who have been left stranded due to ongoing travel disruptions. This significant move comes as numerous holidaymakers from Birmingham and the wider Black Country region find themselves stuck in the Middle East following a series of extensive flight cancellations. These cancellations have severely impacted major routes, including those returning to Birmingham Airport, leaving travellers in a precarious situation.
Directive from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism
Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism has sent an email directive to hotel providers across the city, instructing them to extend all necessary support to any tourists affected by the flight cancellations or delays. This action is in response to mass flight disruptions in the Middle East, which have been exacerbated by continuing conflict between the United States and Iran. The directive, which was seen by the English-speaking Dubai newspaper the Khaleej Times, outlines specific measures hotels should take to assist stranded visitors.
"We kindly request your cooperation in ensuring that hotel guests who were due to check out but are unable to do so as a result of these circumstances are offered the option to extend their stay under the same conditions as their initial booking," the DET email states. "It is important that no guests are evicted under these circumstances."
Financial Support and Government Coverage
For guests who are unable to pay for a longer stay, hotels are instructed not to evict stranded tourists but to advise the DET at the earliest opportunity. In a related development, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has announced that the UAE will cover all costs for those stranded in the crisis, including sustenance and accommodation expenses for tourists left in limbo. Similarly, in Abu Dhabi, the city's Department of Culture and Tourism has directed hotels across the capital to extend the stay of any guests unable to travel due to the flight disruptions, with the department covering the cost of the additional nights.
UK Government Response and Evacuation Plans
The update from the Dubai tourism board coincides with the UK Foreign Office drawing up plans to evacuate tens of thousands of British citizens if the war in the Middle East escalates. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Sunday that approximately 200,000 British people are understood to be in the Gulf region. He urged all Britons located in areas targeted by Iranian strikes to register their location with the Foreign Office to receive advice on next steps, noting that about 94,000 people have done so thus far.
More than 50,000 of those individuals are believed to be in the United Arab Emirates, with the majority comprising tourists and holidaymakers. With the airspace over Dubai currently closed, thousands have been left stranded, unable to return home. Travel advice from the Foreign Office now warns Britons against any travel to Iran, Israel, and Palestine. It also advises against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, along with instructions to avoid travel to some parts of Pakistan.
British nationals in Saudi Arabia are advised to stay at home, while those in Jordan, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq are advised to take all possible precautions due to the heightened regional tensions across the Middle East. This situation underscores the widespread impact of the ongoing conflicts on international travel and the urgent measures being taken to protect affected tourists.
