Hours before flights were diverted at DXB, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) pushed red and yellow weather alerts to residents’ phones, warning of “near-zero horizontal visibility” across Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s desert corridors and coastal highways until 10:00 on 3 January. Police temporarily reduced speed limits on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to 80 km/h and deployed flashing beacons at known accident hotspots.
Hotels and corporate travel managers reacted quickly, urging guests and assignees to postpone airport transfers until conditions improved. Car-rental firms offered free schedule changes, while logistics operators rerouted last-mile deliveries away from inland ‘fog pockets’. The advisory is part of a high-tech early-warning system introduced after a series of multi-vehicle pile-ups in 2024; data from 68 lidar stations now triggers automated SMS updates in Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu—languages that cover the vast majority of the UAE’s expatriate workforce.
![UAE issues red-and-yellow fog alerts, advising motorists and tourists to delay early-morning travel]()
Travellers looking to avoid last-minute complications would also be wise to confirm that their entry permits remain valid; VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can fast-track tourist or business visas, handle extensions online and send automated status updates—an extra layer of assurance when flight schedules are in flux.
For business travellers, the fog alert is more than a weather note: taxi shortages and longer ride-hailing surge times can jeopardise connection windows, while road closures on E-311 have, in the past, added two hours to the journey between Dubai and Abu Dhabi Global Market. Employers should reiterate that UAE road rules mandate headlights in fog and impose Dh400 fines for flouting speed caps.
The NCM warns that fog often gives way to high winds and dust; gusts up to 50 km/h are forecast for 4 January, raising the prospect of a rapid switch from ‘white-out’ to ‘yellow’ dust storms. Travellers should monitor both airport NOTAMs and road-safety bulletins throughout the week.
Hotels and corporate travel managers reacted quickly, urging guests and assignees to postpone airport transfers until conditions improved. Car-rental firms offered free schedule changes, while logistics operators rerouted last-mile deliveries away from inland ‘fog pockets’. The advisory is part of a high-tech early-warning system introduced after a series of multi-vehicle pile-ups in 2024; data from 68 lidar stations now triggers automated SMS updates in Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu—languages that cover the vast majority of the UAE’s expatriate workforce.
Travellers looking to avoid last-minute complications would also be wise to confirm that their entry permits remain valid; VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can fast-track tourist or business visas, handle extensions online and send automated status updates—an extra layer of assurance when flight schedules are in flux.
For business travellers, the fog alert is more than a weather note: taxi shortages and longer ride-hailing surge times can jeopardise connection windows, while road closures on E-311 have, in the past, added two hours to the journey between Dubai and Abu Dhabi Global Market. Employers should reiterate that UAE road rules mandate headlights in fog and impose Dh400 fines for flouting speed caps.
The NCM warns that fog often gives way to high winds and dust; gusts up to 50 km/h are forecast for 4 January, raising the prospect of a rapid switch from ‘white-out’ to ‘yellow’ dust storms. Travellers should monitor both airport NOTAMs and road-safety bulletins throughout the week.
