United Arab Emirates

Is the UAE safe to visit?

On crime, yes, emphatically. The UAE had 0.69 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2022, close to Singapore, and theft against tourists is rare. Its roads, once among the world's deadliest, now kill about 3.5 people per 100,000 a year. In any normal year the UAE would score in the high 80s.

2026 is not a normal year. After US-Iran hostilities began on 28 February, Iran fired missiles and drones at the Gulf states, and the UAE was one of the main targets. The US State Department rates the country Level 3 (reconsider travel). We score the UAE 79, ahead of Turkey and Egypt but held back by the war, and we rate confidence as medium because the situation keeps changing.

The Iran war and missile strikes

By 10 May 2026 the UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defences had engaged 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles and 2,265 drones since the attacks began. Thirteen people had died: two members of the armed forces, a civilian contractor and ten civilians from South Asia and the Middle East. Most projectiles were intercepted, but debris caused much of the damage. In Dubai, a concourse at Dubai International was hit on 1 March and debris set fire to the Burj Al Arab's facade; our Dubai page covers those strikes in detail.

The US and Iran agreed a memorandum of understanding on 17 June, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region resumed from 8 July. On 18 August the Ministry of Defence said two ballistic missiles from Iran, aimed at shipping, had come down in and just outside UAE waters; Iran denied firing them, and the UAE imposed a trade embargo on Iran the next day. On 31 August, after the US and Iran exchanged attacks, the UAE intercepted a drone over its waters and denied Iranian claims that the Al Minhad air base had been hit. Neither incident caused reported casualties.

The pressure moved to the sea in October. The Joint Maritime Information Center, which tracks attacks for naval forces in the region, recorded five merchant ships struck by projectiles or drones in the Strait of Hormuz between 3 and 6 October, and one more told by Iranian forces to turn back or be targeted. Twelve crew were injured on one tanker. The centre rates the threat in the strait as severe, and says a US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in force. None of these attacks hit the UAE itself, but they keep the risk of escalation and airspace closures high.

The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary, updated on 29 August, keeps Level 3 and still warns of drone and missile attacks, and says Iran has threatened sites in the UAE linked to the United States. It now lets family members of US government staff rejoin them, a sign the embassy sees less immediate danger than in March. Airspace can close at short notice, so expect cancellations.

For a visitor, the statistical risk of being hurt remains small; 13 deaths in a population of about 11 million over several months. The practical risk is disruption, and the uncertainty is real. The FCDO's advice: sign up for alerts, keep travel documents ready, stay away from military and security sites, and if told to shelter, move to an interior room or stairwell.

Terrorism is a separate threat. The FCDO says terrorists are likely to try attacks in the UAE, and both governments name Israeli and Jewish sites as possible targets.

Strict laws: the risk visitors underestimate

More foreigners get into trouble with UAE law than with UAE criminals. The rules that catch people out, according to the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary:

• Drugs. Zero tolerance. Traces in your bloodstream count as possession, and even a small amount brings at least three months in prison or a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 dirhams. CBD oils and some vape refills are illegal.
• Medicines. Some UK prescription and over-the-counterOver-the-counterA medicine you can buy without a prescription, in a pharmacy or shop, with directions on the pack for safe use without a doctor.More in the glossary medicines are controlled. Check the Ministry of Health list before you pack.
• Alcohol. Legal from 21 in licensed venues, but being drunk in public is an offence everywhere and alcohol is banned in Sharjah.
• Words and gestures. Swearing and rude gestures, including online and at other drivers, can lead to jail or deportation.
• Photos. Do not photograph people without permission, or government and military sites. Men have been arrested for photographing women on beaches.

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal. Unpaid bills, including hotel bills, can lead to prison and exit bans.

Roads, heat and the desert

UAE roads are much safer than they were. The Ministry of Interior reported 384 deaths in 2024, and Khaleej Times reports that road deaths fell 74% between 2011 and 2025. Dubai alone recorded 1.8 per 100,000 in 2024. Driving is still fast and aggressive on the big highways, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says, and you must never leave the scene of a crash before police arrive. Pedestrians can be fined for crossing away from marked crossings.

Heat is the main natural hazard. From June to September daytime temperatures pass 45°C, and heat illness is a real risk for anyone hiking, running or on a desert trip at midday. Rain is rare but drainage is limited, so storms flood roads quickly, as in April 2024. Desert driving needs a proper four-wheel drive, a second car and plenty of water.

How to stay safe in the UAE

• Check the US and UK advice the week you travel, and keep an eye on airline notices.
• Use licensed taxis or Careem and Uber; Dubai's taxis are cream, Abu Dhabi's silver.
• Leave CBD, cannabis residue and unlabelled pills at home.
• Swim only at lifeguarded beaches with flags; rip currents occur.
• Call 999 for police and 998 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Conflict (48) is the weakest factor by far and reflects the 2026 strikes and the US Level 3 advisory; if the attacks end, the UAE's score would rise sharply. Violent crime (93), road safety (89) and petty crime (88) are all strong.