Travellers across the Gulf experienced an unusually chaotic day on 5 December 2025 as dense fog and operational bottlenecks triggered 14 cancellations and more than 800 delays at major airports in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Data compiled from FlightAware and reported by industry portal Travel & Tour World show Dubai International (DXB) alone suffered 270 delays, while the new Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi recorded one cancellation and 111 delayed departures or arrivals. National carriers Etihad Airways and flydubai were among those hardest hit.
Across the border, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International and Riyadh’s King Khalid International endured four and three cancellations respectively, plus hundreds of knock-on delays operated by Saudia and other airlines. Although only a handful of flights were outright cancelled, the scale of the delays—averaging two to three hours—upended connecting itineraries for thousands of passengers and forced corporate travel managers to scramble for alternative routings.
![Sudden Wave of Flight Cancellations and 815 Delays Hits Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Disrupting Regional Business Travel]()
Airport authorities cited a perfect storm of heavy early-morning fog, holiday-season passenger volumes and aircraft rotation issues. Because Dubai and Abu Dhabi function as multi-stop connecting hubs, a delay on one side of the network rapidly cascades across Europe-Asia traffic flows. Hoteliers in Dubai’s business districts reported a spike in last-minute bookings as stranded travellers sought overnight accommodation.
Businesses with time-sensitive meetings in the Gulf are advised to build additional layover buffers through mid-December, when regional traffic typically peaks ahead of year-end conferences and the UAE school winter break. Travellers affected by the latest disruption should contact airlines before heading to the airport; under UAE consumer rules, carriers must offer rebooking or refunds when flights are cancelled for operational reasons.
Across the border, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International and Riyadh’s King Khalid International endured four and three cancellations respectively, plus hundreds of knock-on delays operated by Saudia and other airlines. Although only a handful of flights were outright cancelled, the scale of the delays—averaging two to three hours—upended connecting itineraries for thousands of passengers and forced corporate travel managers to scramble for alternative routings.
Airport authorities cited a perfect storm of heavy early-morning fog, holiday-season passenger volumes and aircraft rotation issues. Because Dubai and Abu Dhabi function as multi-stop connecting hubs, a delay on one side of the network rapidly cascades across Europe-Asia traffic flows. Hoteliers in Dubai’s business districts reported a spike in last-minute bookings as stranded travellers sought overnight accommodation.
Businesses with time-sensitive meetings in the Gulf are advised to build additional layover buffers through mid-December, when regional traffic typically peaks ahead of year-end conferences and the UAE school winter break. Travellers affected by the latest disruption should contact airlines before heading to the airport; under UAE consumer rules, carriers must offer rebooking or refunds when flights are cancelled for operational reasons.
