Government eases Middle East warnings for Aussie travellers
The Australian government has revised its travel warnings for parts of the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Smartraveller website lowered the advice level for Qatar and the UAE on Thursday to “level two: Exercise a high degree of caution”.
Travel warnings for parts of the Middle East including Qatar have been eased. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Smartraveller warned that travel advice levels may change at short notice. It stressed the “situation in the Middle East is still unpredictable”.
“Monitor current events if you choose to travel to or transit through these locations,” the update posted on October 8 read.
“Be aware that the security situation in the region is still unpredictable. Be prepared to change your plans at short notice.”
Amid the peak of the Middle East conflict, both countries had been listed as level four warnings, which discourage passengers from even transiting through the airport. That level was downgraded to Level three in June.
Dubai is home to one of the world’s busiest airports and usually attracts almost 20 million visitors a year.
Abu Dhabi had 26.6 million visitors in 2025.
Despite the downgrade, experts are still advising caution.
“The move to Level two for Qatar and the UAE is a welcome sign of confidence for travellers and for the Gulf carriers that connect Australia to Europe and beyond,” FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller global COO Melissa Elf said.
Dubai is home to one of the world’s busiest airports. AP Photo/Fatima Shbair
“But Smartraveller is clear that the situation is still unpredictable, so travel plans need to stay flexible, and we are still advising our customers to check their travel policies.”
Level three “reconsider your need to travel” warnings remain in place for:
- Bahrain
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
Level four “do not travel” warnings apply to:
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Palestine
- Syria
- Yemen
