UAE families left waiting as Etihad extends Saudi flight ban

For thousands of UAE residents with family in Saudi Arabia, the question each morning is no longer whether flights are cheaper to book, but whether the flight exists at all. On Nov. 5, that uncertainty sharpened. Etihad’s suspensions on its Riyadh and Dammam routes, previously set to end around Nov. 5, have been extended, with all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and the two Saudi cities cancelled through Nov. 19. Travellers who had marked their calendars for a return to normal schedules must now plan again.

The extension is the clearest single change in Tuesday’s aviation picture. Selected Jeddah services, flights EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604, are scheduled to resume on Nov. 6, and other Jeddah services are reported to operate as planned. Those remain plans, subject to operational change, and passengers are advised to confirm each booking directly with the airline rather than relying on a date on paper.

Elsewhere, the picture is mixed. Dubai’s winter schedule is expanding: British Airways resumed its London-Dubai flights on Nov. 3, with Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings following on Nov. 25 and Austrian Airlines on Dec. 12. Philippine Airlines, Air Astana and Aegean Airlines have already restored services, and UAE airport seat capacity reached 7.2 million in October, up 23 per cent from June. Yet Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia all continue to report cancellations and delays across UAE airports. Iranian airlines, including Iran Airtour services to Dubai, remain suspended until further notice, and Emirates-flydubai codeshare services to Tel Aviv remain grounded, though that should not be read as a blanket halt to every UAE-Tel Aviv service. For anyone flying, the practical advice is unchanged: check the airline’s app or official flight-status page before leaving home, confirm connecting flights separately, and ask about rebooking or refund options if plans fall apart.

Behind the departure boards, the wider conflict continues to shape daily life in the Gulf. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the country wants diplomacy but is “braced for the worst”. The reporting describes strengthened Gulf defences, along with warnings from some Arab states that attacks on their infrastructure could trigger individual or collective retaliation. Regional risk remains concentrated around military and energy infrastructure, Saudi destinations and maritime routes. Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi airports and military sites continue, though several claims lacked Saudi or independent confirmation. Residents are urged to follow official UAE announcements rather than circulating unverified footage, and to keep passports, booking details and emergency contacts close at hand. There is no new UAE-wide evacuation instruction or blanket airport closure for Nov. 5.

Oil prices, meanwhile, extended their retreat on Thursday as investors priced in a greater chance of negotiations rather than immediate renewed strikes, with the decline attributed to hopes that Trump would pursue diplomacy after Republican midterm losses, alongside Qatar’s mediation efforts. Prices remain above pre-war levels, and the dip reflects markets trimming the premium charged for feared disruption, not a return to normal conditions. For businesses and households, war-risk insurance and shipping expenses can still affect imports, and firms are advised to review delivery schedules, insurance cover and supply-chain exposure. Full price details were published in the original briefing at https://gulfnews.com/uae/usisrael-iran-war-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-today-nov-5-1.500736686.

The sea tells a starker story than the oil market. Gulf News’ Nov. 4 briefing, citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency, reported that a tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles roughly 14 nautical miles northeast of Oman on Nov. 3. The engine room was hit, but no casualties or environmental damage were reported, and the notice did not identify the attackers. Tracking data cited in the report showed only five commodity vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and none on Sunday, against more than 130 daily transits before the war. For importers, exporters and seafarers, the real question is whether vessels can transit reliably and obtain insurance, not whether futures have fallen for a few sessions.

In Washington, Trump is weighing three broad options after the Republican midterm losses: resuming military strikes, negotiating an agreement, or maintaining the naval blockade and economic pressure campaign, according to Iran International’s account of Axios reporting. No final choice was reported. Within the administration, Vice President JD Vance favours reaching an agreement with Tehran, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other advisers favour maintaining pressure. US military officials said preparations for possible major combat operations were being completed, even as Qatari mediators pursued a draft agreement. Axios also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged strikes before the midterms, though preparations and advocacy are not a presidential order. Vance attributed the Republican losses to the conflict, writing, “The reason we lost is the war.” Former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer argued the opposite: “The problem was not the Iran War. It was the ceasefire,” advocating that the campaign continue until Iran’s leadership fell. CBS reported that Trump has asked advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should remain, though no replacement decision was made and Trump publicly said Hegseth was “doing a very good job.”

Separately, South Korea plans to expand its Cheonghae anti-piracy mission from the Gulf of Aden into waters south of Oman, adding a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team, unmanned mine-clearing systems and 75 personnel to bring the unit to 395. Officials described the proposed mission as non-combat and independent, with the aircraft barred from monitoring or targeting Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz. Cabinet endorsement is expected to be sought next week before parliamentary approval.

For residents of the UAE, the days ahead turn on a handful of concrete markers: whether Etihad’s selected Jeddah services restart on Nov. 6, whether the Riyadh and Dammam suspension lifts after Nov. 19, whether Qatar-mediated talks produce a confirmed framework, and whether shipping advisories and insurance conditions show the Strait of Hormuz becoming passable again. Until then, the guidance for travellers and businesses alike is the same: verify before acting, because schedules can change at short notice.