The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) placed the entire country on a weather watch from 25–29 December as an upper-level trough drags cool, moisture-laden air across the northern emirates. Forecasters expect patchy rain, night-time lows of 16 °C in Dubai and near-freezing readings on Jebel Jais, while dense morning fog may slash visibility below 50 m on the E11 and E311 corridors.
Why does a mild drizzle make mobility managers nervous? When visibility drops, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports activate CAT II/III low-visibility procedures that lengthen take-off spacing. Historical data show departure banks slipping 20–45 minutes and, in the worst cases, an hour. Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Cargo have already warned shippers that priority perishables could be resequenced, and express operators DHL and Aramex are telling e-commerce clients to expect 24-hour delivery slips in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
On the roads, Dubai Police confirmed rolling 80 km/h speed limits, with full closures if fog thickens. That adds up to an extra 30–60 minutes on the drive between Dubai and Abu Dhabi—enough to push tight airport connections over the edge. Hotels report a flurry of late check-outs and rebooking enquiries as tourists hedge against potential travel chaos.
![Five-Day Weather Watch Could Delay Holiday Flights and Freight in the UAE]()
Corporate travellers should therefore pad itineraries, pre-register for airline SMS alerts and download the RTA’s smart drive app for diversion notices. Mobility teams can remind visitors that the recently introduced online extension facility for 30- and 60-day visit visas eliminates the need for risky “visa runs” should weather ground flights.
In that context, travellers who find their documents expiring while stranded can turn to VisaHQ, whose online portal for the United Arab Emirates (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines emergency extensions, fresh tourist visas and multi-entry business permits in minutes. Mobility managers can upload paperwork, monitor status updates in real time and secure digital approvals without ever leaving the hotel lobby—an invaluable fallback when dense fog makes a dash to a typing centre impossible.
While the NCM expects conditions to improve after 29 December, logistics planners note that the holiday peak will already be winding down by then, meaning any backlog may spill into early January import cycles.
Why does a mild drizzle make mobility managers nervous? When visibility drops, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports activate CAT II/III low-visibility procedures that lengthen take-off spacing. Historical data show departure banks slipping 20–45 minutes and, in the worst cases, an hour. Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Cargo have already warned shippers that priority perishables could be resequenced, and express operators DHL and Aramex are telling e-commerce clients to expect 24-hour delivery slips in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
On the roads, Dubai Police confirmed rolling 80 km/h speed limits, with full closures if fog thickens. That adds up to an extra 30–60 minutes on the drive between Dubai and Abu Dhabi—enough to push tight airport connections over the edge. Hotels report a flurry of late check-outs and rebooking enquiries as tourists hedge against potential travel chaos.
Corporate travellers should therefore pad itineraries, pre-register for airline SMS alerts and download the RTA’s smart drive app for diversion notices. Mobility teams can remind visitors that the recently introduced online extension facility for 30- and 60-day visit visas eliminates the need for risky “visa runs” should weather ground flights.
In that context, travellers who find their documents expiring while stranded can turn to VisaHQ, whose online portal for the United Arab Emirates (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines emergency extensions, fresh tourist visas and multi-entry business permits in minutes. Mobility managers can upload paperwork, monitor status updates in real time and secure digital approvals without ever leaving the hotel lobby—an invaluable fallback when dense fog makes a dash to a typing centre impossible.
While the NCM expects conditions to improve after 29 December, logistics planners note that the holiday peak will already be winding down by then, meaning any backlog may spill into early January import cycles.
