Anyone else in Dubai on holiday? AIBU to be panicking with all the flights cancelled?

[tiantian1005]

Not sure when we can go home..anyone has managed to for example drive to nearby countries and fly from there?

Obviously work places just have to manage without the member of staff, I was more thinking about pay arrangements.

I had a US colleague who was stuck in the UK during the ash cloud also. She worked online as much as she could- but there was literally nothing anyone could do.

You'd hope workplaces would be pragmatic- but knowing the last workplace I was in I think they'd be total arseholes about it.

I was stranded when it was no fly due to Icelandic ash cloud. I had to use annual leave for the 8 days I was stuck. If I'd not had annual leave to use them it would have been unpaid. DH was a teacher at the time and they just paid him due to the exceptional nature of the incident.

Having to take unpaid leave would definitely be hard for some people.

when I got stuck due to 9/11 my employer offered me to either take unpaid or annual leave.

not covered by travel insurance due to the type of incident.

In situations like this my employer offers paid special leave due to exceptional circumstances (assuming the employee is doing everything they can to get home as soon as possible and not just enjoying the extra holiday) so I think it varies depending on employer.

This is from the BBC: there's a subtle but important difference between 'under' and 'near'.
Iran has blamed the US and Israel. The US military's Central Command (Centcom) said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel's military said it was "not aware" of any IDF operations in the area.
The girls' school was located in Minab, near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base which has previously been a target.

I'm not a supporter of Iran at all- I hope the US and the Israelis are successful in enabling the Iranian population to enact regime change. But I hope they get a bloody nose doing it-equipment wise, not personnel wise- as I can't bear to watch Trump and Netanyahu swaggering about, and more importantly, it might make them think twice about future wars.

The only way out for the Islamic Republic has to be to aim to kill as many US service personnel as possible to pile the political pressure on Trump. He promised no more endless foreign wars to his MAGA base and they will hold him to in the mid-term elections if US losses mount up.

Whereas my friend who was already abroad after the Icelandic volcano somehow managed to get a flight from East Africa to Morocco, and persuaded his UK employer that he was stuck abroad trying his hardest to get home but in reality just continued his holiday for two more weeks. He was paid, never had to refund the extra two weeks and his employer was grateful when he managed to return. They never found out....

I work in HR and although there's be some sympathy, this comes with a price tag and when the price gets too big the sympathy would run out but employees would have the option to take emergency annual leave, after that it would be unpaid as shifts would need agency cover so ££££.

Other less financially tight places may have different approaches.

The journalist thing is and was totally wrong and abhorrent. The Saudi government did go and prosecute those who did the murder. And then sentenced a few to death.

And yes the 347 were executed because they'd committed capital offenses.

I am sure the Foreign Office will publish advice soon. For now sit tight and stay safe.

The times are reporting that evacuations are likely now

I hope so! We have pregnant DD, DSIL and toddler grandchild there now. We need them home.

This might be of interest:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-airports-operational-plans-support-passengers-iran-attack-flight-suspension

To be fair to him, flights back to the UK (and most of Europe) were the issue and he couldn't get home so it wasn't exactly lying. And I'd rather be in Morocco than most of East Africa. If you were stranded abroad then yeah you did "continue your holiday" what else was there to do? If cost an absolute fortune though and wasn't covered by insurance.

I’m in Qatar as we live here, it’s scary times but just be assured you are generally safe if you follow guidance and stay inside.

lol. Who are you? A Saudi bot?

The murderous regime murdered because they are a murderous regime 🤓

Obviously Dubui and Doha airports are currently out of action. Local airports will be commissioned to link with other nearby major hubs for repatriation flights.
Keep looking at the FCO website and keep in touch with your airline.
More than anything make sure you know where shelters are, and how to get there.
Good luck.

There are ferries from Morocco to Spain, then land routes home.

From TV advice is to register yourselves with the British Embassy/Consulate so that they know who you are and where and how to contact you

I think it will be a while before flights resume.

I used to work for the main airline there and crew are still stuck outstation.

My friend has been sending me videos from her house and you can see the missiles in the sky. T3 at DXB was struck yesterday.

My friend in Dubai was planning on driving to Saudi but all land borders are closed.

Very very expensive at the time (I was in Egypt, we did look in to it, would have been about £2000 each), cheaper to wait it out, even with the increased costs that were incurred.

My mentor stucked in Doha. Shall I ask her about her plans? Not sure if that helps, considering you are in Dubai.

We are talking WAR here, so what kind of people could be A...holes about it?

Dubai said they’re opening tomorrow at 15:00, so why now talks of evacuations?