The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued a rare red alert between 03:20 and 10:00 on 7 February 2026 as dense fog blanketed highways linking Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Travel and Tour World reports that major airports activated low-visibility procedures, cutting runway throughput by up to 30 per cent and prompting airlines to warn passengers of potential knock-on delays.
Road travel was equally affected: smart-highway signs reduced speed limits to 80 km/h and police urged motorists to keep greater following distances. The Ministry of Interior reminded drivers that tailgating in fog carries a AED 400 fine and four black points on their licences. Port operators at Jebel Ali and Khalifa anticipated evening swells as the system brought gusts of up to 40 km/h.
![Severe Fog Triggers Red-Alert Travel Advisory Across the UAE]()
Amid such fast-changing conditions, VisaHQ’s UAE specialists (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite emergency visa extensions or new entry permits for travellers caught in weather-related delays, giving corporate mobility teams and individual passengers an extra layer of assurance while flights, road convoys or vessel departures are rescheduled.
For multinational firms, the weather disruption underscores the need to integrate real-time meteorological data into duty-of-care platforms. Logistics managers shipping temperature-sensitive goods through Dubai South were advised to build additional buffer time into delivery schedules, while field-service teams postponed non-essential site visits until after mid-morning.
Although fog is common in the UAE’s winter months, the severity of the 7 February event—the strongest since December 2025—highlights a growing operational risk. Climate analysts warn that temperature inversions over the Gulf are becoming more frequent, suggesting fog-related disruption could rise by 15 per cent over the next decade. Companies should therefore review continuity plans that tie together weather alerts, visa-extension contingencies and flexible work-from-anywhere policies.
Road travel was equally affected: smart-highway signs reduced speed limits to 80 km/h and police urged motorists to keep greater following distances. The Ministry of Interior reminded drivers that tailgating in fog carries a AED 400 fine and four black points on their licences. Port operators at Jebel Ali and Khalifa anticipated evening swells as the system brought gusts of up to 40 km/h.
Amid such fast-changing conditions, VisaHQ’s UAE specialists (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite emergency visa extensions or new entry permits for travellers caught in weather-related delays, giving corporate mobility teams and individual passengers an extra layer of assurance while flights, road convoys or vessel departures are rescheduled.
For multinational firms, the weather disruption underscores the need to integrate real-time meteorological data into duty-of-care platforms. Logistics managers shipping temperature-sensitive goods through Dubai South were advised to build additional buffer time into delivery schedules, while field-service teams postponed non-essential site visits until after mid-morning.
Although fog is common in the UAE’s winter months, the severity of the 7 February event—the strongest since December 2025—highlights a growing operational risk. Climate analysts warn that temperature inversions over the Gulf are becoming more frequent, suggesting fog-related disruption could rise by 15 per cent over the next decade. Companies should therefore review continuity plans that tie together weather alerts, visa-extension contingencies and flexible work-from-anywhere policies.
