UAE travellers face another unsettled day of air travel on Saturday, October 17, as cancellations and schedule changes continue to affect flights between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh remains a major disruption point, while airlines are updating services to Dammam, Jeddah, Medina and other Saudi destinations.
Emirates has cancelled flights between Dubai and Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh through October 17 and 18, while Etihad Airways has suspended specified services between Abu Dhabi and three Saudi cities. Air Arabia has also reported cancellations from Sharjah, including flights to Riyadh, Dammam, Abha and Taif. flydubai has a mix of arrived, estimated and scheduled services, although flight status information is unavailable for several Saudi routes.
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The disruption comes as the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) warns that seasonal weather and reduced visibility could cause limited flight delays. The US and Australia have also issued travel warnings concerning the security situation in Saudi Arabia.
Passengers should check their flight number directly with the operating airline before leaving for the airport, as schedules and operating conditions may change at short notice.
GCAA warns of possible flight delays
The GCAA has warned that seasonal weather conditions and reduced horizontal visibility in parts of the UAE could affect flight operations.
In a statement on Saturday, October 17, the authority said airlines and airport operators were implementing measures in line with established operational procedures and aviation safety standards.
Passengers have been advised to follow official airline and airport updates for information about schedules and potential changes.
Travellers are advised: Check official airline channels for real-time flight updates before leaving for the airport.
Saudi airport disruption: What travellers need to know
Saudi Arabia continues to face significant flight disruption following recent missile and drone attacks.
Riyadh: King Khalid International Airport remains suspended through October 17, according to the supplied travel updates.
Jeddah: King Abdulaziz International Airport is operating, with some delays and cancellations.
Dammam: King Fahd International Airport is operating, although some services remain affected.
Travellers should confirm airport operating conditions before departure and avoid assuming that all flights to an operating airport are running normally.
Saudi flight cancellations: 552 departures affected
Flight disruption remained widespread across Saudi Arabia on October 15, when 552 scheduled departures were cancelled or marked “no-fly”, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
Cirium’s airline and airport breakdowns recorded 552 affected flights out of 1,178 scheduled departures, equivalent to 46.86%. However, its daily breakdown listed 558 affected flights, or 47.37%. The figures require verification because of this discrepancy.
Riyadh was the worst-affected major airport.
Cancellations by major Saudi airport
Riyadh: 298 of 366 departures affected (81.42%).
Jeddah: 87 of 385 departures affected (22.60%).
Dammam: 60 of 131 departures affected (45.80%).
Madinah: 24 of 102 departures affected (23.53%).
Abha: 20 of 44 departures affected (45.45%).
These figures refer to departures on October 15 and include flights classified as cancelled or no-fly. They do not represent the overall cancellation rate across the airlines’ networks.
Etihad cancels Abu Dhabi flights to three Saudi cities
Etihad Airways has cancelled specified flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah because of regional disruption.
Abu Dhabi–Dammam
All flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
Abu Dhabi–Riyadh
All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
Abu Dhabi–Jeddah
The following services have been cancelled:
EY601: Abu Dhabi to Jeddah — October 12 to 18.
EY602: Jeddah to Abu Dhabi — October 12 to 18.
EY603: Abu Dhabi to Jeddah — until Monday, October 19.
EY604: Jeddah to Abu Dhabi — until Monday, October 19.
Etihad has advised passengers to check their flight status on its official website. Further changes are possible, and affected travellers should contact the airline for assistance with their bookings.
Emirates flight updates: Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh cancellations
Emirates has cancelled flights between Dubai and Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh for Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18. Medina is the only Saudi destination listed in the supplied update with services operating or scheduled.
Dubai–Dammam
Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18
Cancelled flights:
Dubai to Dammam: EK823, EK827, EK821.
Dammam to Dubai: EK824, EK828, EK822.
Dubai–Jeddah
Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18
Cancelled flights:
Dubai to Jeddah: EK801, EK805, EK803.
Jeddah to Dubai: EK802, EK806, EK804.
Dubai–Riyadh
Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18
Cancelled flights:
Dubai to Riyadh: EK815, EK819, EK817.
Riyadh to Dubai: EK816, EK820, EK818.
Dubai–Medina
For Saturday, October 17:
Dubai to Medina: EK807 is listed as operating; EK809 is scheduled.
Medina to Dubai: EK808 and EK810 are scheduled.
Passengers should check the Emirates website or app for the latest status of their individual flights, particularly where a service is listed as scheduled rather than confirmed as operating.
flydubai flight updates: Jeddah, Medina, Gassim and Taif
flydubai services between Dubai and several Saudi destinations have a mix of arrived, in-flight, estimated and scheduled statuses on Saturday, October 17.
The airline’s supplied status information does not provide flight details for several other Saudi routes, including Riyadh and Dammam. The absence of a status does not, by itself, confirm a cancellation.
Dubai–Jeddah flights
Saturday, October 17
Dubai to Jeddah: FZ919 and FZ831 have arrived; FZ909 and FZ829 are estimated; FZ807 is scheduled.
Jeddah to Dubai: FZ920 has arrived; FZ832 is in flight, with arrival in Dubai estimated for 12.52pm; FZ910 and FZ830 are estimated; FZ808 is scheduled.
Dubai–Medina flights
Saturday, October 17
Dubai to Medina: FZ897 and FZ8387 are estimated; FZ827 is scheduled.
Medina to Dubai: FZ828 appears in separate entries as arrived and estimated, while FZ8388 is estimated. Passengers should confirm the duplicate FZ828 entries with the airline.
Dubai–Gassim flights
Saturday, October 17
Dubai to Gassim: FZ8443 is estimated; FZ871 is scheduled.
Gassim to Dubai: FZ872 has arrived; FZ8444 is estimated.
Sunday, October 18
FZ8443 and FZ8444 are listed as scheduled.
Dubai–Taif flights
Saturday, October 17
Dubai to Taif: FZ873 is estimated.
Taif to Dubai: FZ874 is estimated.
Other flydubai routes
No flight status information was available in the supplied update for the following routes on October 17 and 18:
Riyadh
Dammam
The Red Sea
Yanbu
Al Jouf
Neom
Nejran
Abha
AlUla
Gizan
Hail
Hofuf
Passengers should check with flydubai for route-specific information before travelling.
flydubai check-in advice: Check-in counters close 60 minutes before scheduled departure unless the passenger receives an SMS or email advising otherwise.
Air Arabia flight updates: Sharjah–Saudi cancellations
Air Arabia has reported cancellations on several routes between Sharjah and Saudi Arabia on Saturday, October 17. Other services are listed as not yet departed, due to arrive or operating with updated timings.
Sharjah–Dammam
Cancelled flights:
Sharjah to Dammam: G9160, G9163, G9167.
Dammam to Sharjah: G9161, G9164, G9168.
Sharjah–Riyadh
Cancelled flights:
Sharjah to Riyadh: G9151, G9154.
Riyadh to Sharjah: G9152, G9155.
Sharjah–Abha
Cancelled flights:
Sharjah to Abha: G9195.
Abha to Sharjah: G9196.
Sharjah–Taif
Cancelled flights:
Sharjah to Taif: G9187.
Taif to Sharjah: G9188.
Sharjah–Al Jouf
Sharjah to Al Jouf: G9221 has not yet departed.
Al Jouf to Sharjah: G9222 has not yet departed.
Sharjah–Gassim
Sharjah to Gassim: G9070 is due to arrive at 9.25am; G9181 has not yet departed.
Gassim to Sharjah: G9071 has an updated flight time; G9182 has not yet departed.
Sharjah–Jeddah
Sharjah to Jeddah: G9145 is due to arrive at 10.15am; G9219 and G9147 have not yet departed.
Sharjah–Medina
Sharjah to Medina: G9177 is due to arrive at 10.10am; G9175 has not yet departed.
Medina to Sharjah: G9178 has an updated flight time; G9176 has not yet departed.
Sharjah–Hail
Sharjah to Hail: G9197 has not yet departed.
Hail to Sharjah: G9198 has not yet departed.
Sharjah–Tabuk
Sharjah to Tabuk: G9191 has not yet departed.
Tabuk to Sharjah: G9192 has not yet departed.
A flight marked as not yet departed is not necessarily cancelled. Air Arabia passengers should check the latest flight-specific status before leaving for Sharjah International Airport.
Indian airlines extend Saudi flight suspensions
Four Indian airlines have extended suspensions affecting flights to Saudi Arabia amid security concerns.
Air India: Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah — suspended until October 20.
Air India Express: Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah — suspended until October 20.
IndiGo: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah — suspended until October 24.
Akasa Air: Riyadh — suspended until October 24; Jeddah — suspended until October 21.
Affected passengers should contact their airlines to confirm refund or complimentary rescheduling options, where applicable.
SriLankan Airlines extends Riyadh and Dammam suspensions
SriLankan Airlines has extended the suspension of flights between Colombo and Dammam, and Colombo and Riyadh, until October 24, 2026.
The airline cited the prevailing regional security situation, saying services would resume when conditions were considered suitable for commercial flight operations.
Passengers can contact the airline through its official website or Global Contact Centre, or seek assistance from their travel agent.
US warns of airport attacks and airspace closures
The US has warned its citizens in Saudi Arabia about potential airport attacks, airspace closures and further flight disruption following recent missile and drone attacks.
The US Mission has urged travellers to:
Check flight status directly with airlines and airports.
Follow Saudi security alerts and official announcements.
Consider alternative transport options where appropriate.
Avoid filming or sharing images of missile interceptions and impact sites, which could have legal consequences under Saudi law.
Australia advises travellers to consider alternative routes
Australia has urged its citizens to avoid Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and consider alternative transport arrangements, including road and rail connections to aviation hubs in the UAE and Qatar.
In an advisory issued on October 16, Australian authorities warned of continuing flight disruption and threats to Saudi airports. Travellers were advised to check their bookings before departure and prepare for further cancellations or delays.
Passengers considering alternative routes should confirm the availability of onward flights and check transit and entry requirements before changing their plans.
What UAE travellers should do today
Passengers travelling between the UAE and Saudi Arabia should take the following precautions:
Check flight status before leaving home: Use the airline’s official website or app.
Confirm the flight number: Route-wide announcements may not apply to every service.
Check airport arrangements: Verify the departure airport and any changes to operating conditions.
Contact the airline: Ask about refunds, rebooking and alternative travel arrangements if affected.
Monitor notifications: Keep contact details up to date to receive airline alerts.
Follow official advisories: Monitor government travel warnings and airport announcements.
With regional security concerns continuing to affect aviation, travellers should rely on the latest flight-specific updates rather than assume that all services on a particular route are operating normally. Passengers should also allow for possible schedule changes caused by seasonal weather and reduced visibility in the UAE.
Before you travel: Check your airline’s website or app for the latest flight status and schedule updates.