No Easy Escape: Tens Of Thousands Stranded Across Gulf As Iran Conflict Disrupts Air Travel

Rising tensions in the Middle East have left tens of thousands of travellers and residents stranded across the Gulf as airspace closures and vastly reduced flight schedules scramble travel plans.

Qatar has closed its airspace, leaving roughly 8,000 transit passengers marooned after the reported start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The United Arab Emirates has only allowed a limited number of departures since Monday, forcing tourists, expatriates and transit passengers to hunt for alternate, often lengthy routes out of the region.

Dubai and neighbouring Doha are major east-west transit hubs, handling large volumes of long-haul traffic between Europe and Asia. When those hubs are disrupted, knock-on delays and cancellations quickly cascade across global schedules.

Thirty-Three Hours To Düsseldorf

Dubai resident Sara, who asked that her surname not be used, has planned an arduous roughly 33-hour journey to Germany to make sure she is present as her brother’s best woman at an upcoming wedding.

Sara: "I was supposed to fly next week, but I really cannot risk any delay. It’s a very long journey, but for me it was important."

Her route illustrates the lengths some are taking: a pre-dawn private drive across the UAE–Oman border into Muscat, a flight on to Jeddah to overnight, then onward connections through Amsterdam to Düsseldorf.

Evacuations And Diplomatic Responses

Several governments have organised evacuation efforts. The United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Germany have initiated repatriation flights and other measures; Germany chartered two aircraft — one from Riyadh and one from Muscat — to bring especially vulnerable citizens home from among an estimated 30,000 people currently stranded in the region.

U.S. officials have urged American citizens to leave high-risk areas, and U.S. missions in the region have reported security incidents in some locations. Other embassies are coordinating departures or providing guidance to nationals where possible.

An Eight-Hour Bus To Oman

Oman, which has so far reported fewer direct attacks compared with some neighbours, has kept its airspace open. Oman Air and budget carrier SalamAir organised shuttle buses from a station in Sharjah to Muscat; the road trip takes around eight hours. Social media groups and travel forums have filled with queries from expatriates seeking rides to Muscat’s airport.

Tour operators and drivers have reported a sharp rise in demand for private transfers to border crossings such as Hatta, a mountain town about an hour from Dubai. On reaching Oman, travellers often switch to Omani taxis or local ride providers because UAE-plated cars typically cannot be driven inside Oman unless fully owned by the driver.

Saudi Route And Rising Costs

Saudi Arabia has become another exit route. Some travellers reported coordinated overland journeys to crossings such as Al Ghuwaifat to reach Riyadh or other Saudi airports. Costs for these journeys have spiked: sources told Reuters a Dubai–Riyadh overland return reached more than $1,000, well above typical one-way economy fares in the region.

Practical Impact

For many, the disruption means long overland trips, overnight stops and multiple flight connections. Governments are prioritising vulnerable citizens for evacuation flights, but large numbers of tourists, expatriates and transit passengers remain affected. Travel conditions are fluid; travellers are advised to check official embassies, airlines and airport advisories for the latest information.

(Reporting by Federico Maccioni, Lucy Craymer and Rachna Uppal; additional reporting by Nadine Awadalla and Tala Ramadan; editing by William Maclean.)