UK-based risk-management consultancy MS Risk elevated its Middle East threat level to “High” in a 7 March 2026 bulletin after fresh missile and drone activity near Dubai and Abu Dhabi forced temporary airport closures. The three-page advisory – circulated to multinational clients in Hong Kong and seen by this publication – lists partial resumptions at Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) but warns that Ben Gurion (Israel) and several Saudi gateways remain heavily restricted. Key guidance for travellers includes shelter-in-place instructions during alerts, pre-registration with embassies and readiness to move on short notice with minimal baggage. MS Risk notes that governments are planning evacuation flights but logistics remain uncertain amid rolling airspace notices.
![Security firm issues ‘High-Risk’ advisory for Middle East travel on 7 March; Hong Kong corporates urged to update mobility protocols]()
Travel managers looking to keep itineraries compliant amid shifting restrictions may find it useful to work with VisaHQ, which provides real-time visa and entry-requirement updates for Hong Kong–based travellers and can expedite documentation for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/). The platform’s alert system can be integrated into corporate dashboards, helping duty-of-care teams adjust plans the moment airspace advisories change.
The briefing has triggered an immediate review of travel-approval workflows at several Hong Kong-headquartered banks and freight forwarders, according to corporate security managers contacted by Global Mobility News. Under the city’s Employee Work-Travel Safety Code, updated last year, organisations assigning staff to ‘severe risk’ locations must document risk assessments and provide real-time tracking. Insurance brokers say premiums for single-trip cover into the Gulf have already risen 25 % week-on-week, echoing the airfare surge flagged by Cathay Pacific (see separate story). MS Risk expects the regional security picture to remain volatile for at least two weeks and recommends that non-essential travel be deferred. Companies should “ensure Tier-1 emergency contacts are reachable 24/7 and pre-identify shelter locations,” the note says.
Travel managers looking to keep itineraries compliant amid shifting restrictions may find it useful to work with VisaHQ, which provides real-time visa and entry-requirement updates for Hong Kong–based travellers and can expedite documentation for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/). The platform’s alert system can be integrated into corporate dashboards, helping duty-of-care teams adjust plans the moment airspace advisories change.
The briefing has triggered an immediate review of travel-approval workflows at several Hong Kong-headquartered banks and freight forwarders, according to corporate security managers contacted by Global Mobility News. Under the city’s Employee Work-Travel Safety Code, updated last year, organisations assigning staff to ‘severe risk’ locations must document risk assessments and provide real-time tracking. Insurance brokers say premiums for single-trip cover into the Gulf have already risen 25 % week-on-week, echoing the airfare surge flagged by Cathay Pacific (see separate story). MS Risk expects the regional security picture to remain volatile for at least two weeks and recommends that non-essential travel be deferred. Companies should “ensure Tier-1 emergency contacts are reachable 24/7 and pre-identify shelter locations,” the note says.
