Latest update: 15 October 2026, 6.36am UAE time

Airlines operating between the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to face widespread flight cancellations on Thursday, October 15, with Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia among the carriers affected by the ongoing security situation in the kingdom.

More than 3,100 departures from Saudi airports have been cancelled or marked as not operating in the latest available aviation data, while Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport remains closed until at least October 17 following a series of deadly Houthi attacks.

Several airlines have extended cancellations into next week, although selected flights to destinations including Dammam, Jeddah and Madinah continue to appear on published schedules.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 3,129 of 7,705 scheduled departures from Saudi airports between October 8 and 14 were cancelled or marked as not operating, representing 40.61 per cent of services. The figures were compiled as of 8pm Saudi time on October 13 and are not a final tally for the entire period.

The data also showed that 632 of 1,048 departures on October 12 were affected, followed by 556 of 1,058 on October 13.

A further 313 of 1,097 scheduled departures for October 14 had already been cancelled or marked as not operating in the advance data.

At Riyadh airport, 296 of 334 scheduled departures on October 13 were affected, representing almost 89 per cent of services.

Here is the latest airline-by-airline update.

Emirates: Riyadh and Jeddah cancellations continue

Emirates continues to face significant disruption across its Saudi Arabian network, with flights connecting Dubai to Riyadh and Jeddah among those affected.

Flight-status listings published on Wednesday showed the following services cancelled for October 15:

• Dubai to Riyadh: EK815, EK817 and EK819
• Riyadh to Dubai: EK816, EK818 and EK820
• Dubai to Jeddah: EK801, EK803 and EK805
• Jeddah to Dubai: EK802, EK804 and EK806

Services to Dammam have also experienced cancellations, although the situation varies by flight.

Flight EK825 from Dubai to Dammam and return service EK826 were listed as cancelled for October 15.

However, flight EK821 from Dubai to Dammam, which had been cancelled on October 14, was showing as scheduled for Thursday, according to FlightStats and Flightradar24.

The appearance of a flight on a published schedule does not guarantee that it will operate, and passengers are advised to verify their individual bookings directly with Emirates.

Etihad Airways: Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah cancellations extended

Etihad Airways has updated its Saudi Arabia flight advisory, extending cancellations on several routes connecting Abu Dhabi with the kingdom.

According to the airline’s latest official flight-status page:

• Riyadh: All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
• Dammam: All flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
• Jeddah: Flights EY601 from Abu Dhabi and EY602 from Jeddah are cancelled through October 18.
• Jeddah: Flights EY603 from Abu Dhabi and EY604 from Jeddah are cancelled through Monday, October 19.

The latest advisory extends disruption beyond the earlier announced cancellations covering Dammam until October 14 and selected Jeddah flights until October 15.

Etihad has warned that further schedule changes remain possible and urged passengers to check their flight status before travelling.

flydubai: Cancellations extended to October 19

Dubai-based flydubai has extended cancellations affecting several destinations in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Dammam and Abha, up to and including October 19.

The airline said it was continuing to monitor developments and would communicate further schedule changes to affected passengers.

Flight-status information for Thursday, October 15, lists the following cancellations:

• Dubai–Riyadh: FZ841, FZ847 and FZ855
• Riyadh–Dubai: FZ842, FZ848 and FZ856
• Dubai–Abha: FZ811
• Dubai–NEOM: FZ931 and return service FZ932
• Dubai–Al Jouf: FZ913 and return service FZ914
• Dubai–Ha’il: FZ821 and return service FZ822
• Dubai–Hofuf: FZ809 and return service FZ810

However, not all flydubai flights to Saudi Arabia are cancelled.

Selected services to destinations including Jeddah, Madinah, Tabuk and AlUla have continued to appear on flight schedules, although passengers should confirm their individual flight status before travelling.

Air Arabia: Sharjah flights to Riyadh, Abha and Dammam affected

Air Arabia has also reported further cancellations affecting services between Sharjah and several Saudi Arabian destinations on October 15.

The affected flights include:

• Riyadh: G9151 and G9154 from Sharjah, with return services G9152 and G9155 also cancelled.
• Abha: G9195 from Sharjah and return flight G9196.
• Dammam: G9160 from Sharjah and return flight G9161.
• Taif: G9187 from Sharjah and return flight G9188.

Other Air Arabia services to destinations including Jeddah, Madinah, Gassim and Tabuk continue to appear on published schedules.

However, passengers should not assume these services will operate until their flight status has been confirmed directly with the airline.

Qatar Airways: Riyadh and Dammam services suspended

Qatar Airways continues to suspend flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam because of the regional security situation.

The Doha-based airline has not announced a confirmed date for the resumption of services to the two destinations.

International airlines: Latest Saudi flight suspensions

Several international airlines have extended cancellations or postponed services following the attacks on Saudi Arabia.

According to the latest Reuters airline updates, the following measures have been announced:

• Air France-KLM: Riyadh services suspended until the end of October.
• Air India: Flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah suspended until October 17.
• Akasa Air: Flights to and from Riyadh and Jeddah suspended until October 17.
• IndiGo: Flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah cancelled until October 17.
• Gulf Air: Bahrain-Riyadh services cancelled through October 17.
• Lufthansa Group: Riyadh services cancelled until October 16.
• Malaysia Airlines: Flights to and from Jeddah and Madinah cancelled until October 17.
• Philippine Airlines: Riyadh services suspended until November 29.
• Cathay Pacific: Resumption of Hong Kong-Riyadh and Hong Kong-Dubai services postponed through January 31, 2027.
• Delta Air Lines: Launch of the planned Atlanta-Riyadh service postponed until March 2027.

The announced dates remain subject to further review.

When will Riyadh airport reopen?

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport while safety inspections and operational readiness assessments continue.

The latest published Notice to Airmen indicated that the airport would remain closed until 2100 GMT on October 17, equivalent to midnight in Saudi Arabia at the start of October 18.

However, the published deadline does not guarantee that normal operations will resume immediately.

The closure follows repeated missile and drone attacks on the Saudi capital, including a strike on Riyadh airport on October 10 that killed 13 people and injured more than 300.

The Houthi movement has subsequently threatened further attacks on Saudi airports and energy facilities, raising concerns about continued disruption to the kingdom’s aviation network.

Passengers are advised to check their airline’s official flight-status service before leaving for the airport, particularly as cancellations, delays and schedule changes remain possible.

• *Flight information remains subject to change. A flight appearing as scheduled does not guarantee its operation, while an earlier cancellation does not necessarily mean subsequent services on the same route remain suspended.

WHOOP has launched an Arabic-language version of its app, allowing Arabic-speaking members to access insights on sleep, recovery, physical strain and health in their native language as the wearable technology company expands its presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The launch is accompanied by an outdoor advertising and digital campaign across the GCC. It marks a new step in WHOOP’s regional expansion as demand for its health and performance tracking services grows across the Middle East.

According to the company, WHOOP membership across the GCC has increased by more than 75 per cent year-on-year. The company is expanding its regional operations through investments in infrastructure, retail distribution, research and community partnerships. Its regional presence includes a dedicated UAE office and a growing retail network, a WAM report said.

Research facility planned outside Boston

WHOOP also plans to open its first international performance research and development facility outside Boston through WHOOP Qatar later this year. The facility is expected to support research into health and human performance in the region.

The company has established partnerships with several sports organisations and events. It serves as the official health and performance wearable of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Al Nassr Football Club, and has partnerships with Dubai Fitness Challenge and the Doha Marathon.

These partnerships extend WHOOP’s reach into professional sport and community fitness, as the company seeks to build its regional presence beyond consumer wearable devices.

Arabic-language access becomes part of growth strategy

The new app experience allows members to review personalised health data in Arabic, including information on sleep patterns, exercise, recovery and stress. The company says the service is designed to help users better understand how their daily habits affect their health and performance.

“The response to WHOOP across the Middle East has been incredible,” said Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP. “The GCC has become a major market for us, and we’re seeing strong growth across the broader Middle East and North Africa. We’ve made a significant commitment to the region and we’re going to keep investing here. Launching in Arabic is a crucial part of that strategy.”

The Arabic launch also forms part of a strategic initiative under WHOOP’s partnership with Mubadala Investment Company, which invested in the company’s Series G funding round. The partnership focuses on expanding WHOOP’s presence in the UAE and supporting preventative health, research and innovation across the region.

WHOOP’s wearable technology tracks physiological data to establish individual baselines and provide personalised guidance. The company uses these insights to help members assess how lifestyle choices, including sleep, exercise and stress management, may influence their health and performance over time.

The Arabic-language rollout adds another element to WHOOP’s regional expansion, alongside its planned research facility, retail growth and partnerships across sport and fitness.

https://www.wam.ae/en/article/17h27g1-whoop-launches-arabic-deepening-commitment-gcc

An Arab expatriate was injured after debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell on a residential property and vehicle in Riyadh on Wednesday, October 14, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said.

The authority said the missile, launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia, was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defences, but falling fragments struck a house and vehicle, causing limited material damage.

Saudi Civil Defence said emergency teams responded to the incident and that established safety procedures had been implemented.

Images released by the authority showed damage to a vehicle and the interior of a residential property, with emergency responders inspecting the affected areas.

The latest incident comes less than a day after shrapnel from two intercepted cruise missiles fell on 15 residential homes across Riyadh on Tuesday.

Read more: Missile debris falls on 15 Riyadh homes, injuring four people

Four people, including two women, a man and a child, were injured in that incident, according to Saudi authorities.

Riyadh faces renewed missile attacks

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated missile and drone attacks this week amid escalating hostilities with the Houthis.

Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki confirmed that a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh had been intercepted and destroyed.

The latest attacks follow deadly strikes on King Khalid International Airport, where 13 people were killed on Saturday with a further fatality reported following another attack on Sunday.

The escalation has also extended to Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, with an administrative building at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran targeted on Tuesday, causing a limited fire.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition has launched military operations against fuel infrastructure in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, accusing the group of using the facilities to support missile and drone attacks against the kingdom.

Ambitious, inventive and already making an impact, this year’s 30 Under 30 reflects a generation unwilling to wait its turn. Across business, technology, culture and sport, these rising talents are building companies, challenging conventions and bringing new ideas to the region. Their journeys are only beginning, but their influence is already being felt.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi ranked among the world’s top 10 locations for attracting and retaining the next generation of wealthy individuals, according to a new index from property consultancy Savills.

The two UAE cities were among only four locations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to feature in the top 10 of the Savills Next Generation Wealth Hubs Index, part of its Spotlight on Wealth Trends report.

The index analysed more than 100 destinations, focusing on high-net-worth individuals under 40 who have recently made or inherited their wealth.

It assessed four broad categories: business, governance and connectivity; wealth clusters and local environment; wealth management and taxation; and lifestyle.

New York topped the rankings, followed by Miami, London, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Singapore ranked sixth, making it the highest-placed Asia Pacific location. London led the EMEA rankings, with the region accounting for 16 of the global top 30.

“An estimated $84tn is expected to transfer between generations over the next two decades,” said Kelcie Sellers, associate director at Savills World Research.

“As this wealth passes to a younger, more globally mobile and digitally connected generation, priorities are evolving, with lifestyle, education, wellness, and personal values increasingly influencing where they choose to live, invest and establish their business.”

Dubai and Abu Dhabi offer favourable tax environments

Savills said Dubai and Abu Dhabi combined favourable tax environments, business-friendly policies and infrastructure investment with luxury offerings.

Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, international connectivity and lifestyle continued to attract talent and capital, while Abu Dhabi’s growing financial centre, rising number of family offices and expanding economic opportunities strengthened its appeal, the report said.

“Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s place in the global top 10 reflects how the UAE’s proposition has evolved to meet the priorities of the next generation of wealth,” said Rachael Kennerley, director of research at Savills Middle East.

Across the GCC, succession planning was becoming more prominent, with families placing greater emphasis on governance, involving the next generation and deploying capital within the region over the long term, she said.

Sporting events also contributed to the cities’ lifestyle appeal. Among the locations analysed, Dubai and London hosted the highest number of prestige sporting events each year, including major golf tournaments and ATP tennis, according to Savills. Abu Dhabi hosted Formula 1 and major golf events.

The report said changing preferences around wellness, privacy, education and global connectivity were supporting demand for branded residences, wellness-led developments and turnkey properties that enable internationally mobile buyers to move between homes and jurisdictions.

Read: Abu Dhabi, Dubai among top emerging data centre markets, reveals report