Saudi Arabia and UAE Face Major Travel Chaos As Emirates, FlyDubai, Saudia, Flynas, and Others See Over 600 Flight Cancellations and Delays Across Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat and More

Published on December 30, 2025

Saudi Arabia and UAE faced major travel chaos today as Dubai and Riyadh saw 594 delays and 6 cancellations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and King Khalid International Airport (RUH). Dubai International Airport accounted for 441 disruptions (438 delays, 3 cancellations), while King Khalid International Airport recorded 159 disruptions (156 delays, 3 cancellations). The most affected airlines by volume were Emirates (178 delays), FlyDubai (141 delays), Flynas (63 delays), Saudia (21 delays, 2 cancellations), and SpiceJet (11 delays). Other popular carriers facing delays or cancellations included IndiGO, Air India, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, and Qatar Airways. By city, Dubai (DXB: 438 delays, 3 cancellations) and Riyadh (RUH: 156 delays, 3 cancellations) were the most affected hubs, followed by Jeddah, Medina, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Sharjah, Manama, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, and more.

• Updated today: 600 total disruptions were logged across Dubai and Riyadh, driven overwhelmingly by delays rather than cancellations.
• Dubai led disruption volume with 441 disruptions, largely tied to hub carriers.
• Riyadh followed with 159 disruptions, concentrated among regional operators.
• Cancellations remained limited (6 total) compared with widespread delays.
• US-linked impact was minimal, with a small subset of delays and one cancellation at Dubai.

Most Affected Airports

Dubai International Airport

DXB experienced 438 delays and 3 cancellations, with hub congestion reflected in high delay counts for Emirates and FlyDubai.

King Khalid International Airport

RUH recorded 156 delays and 3 cancellations, with Flynas and Saudia accounting for a significant share.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Emirates

Recorded 178 delays, the single largest contributor by volume.

FlyDubai

Logged 141 delays, reflecting short- and medium-haul network congestion.

Flynas

Accounted for 63 delays at Riyadh, leading among RUH-based operators.

Saudia

Posted 21 delays and 2 cancellations, making it the most cancellation-affected major carrier in the dataset.

SpiceJet

Saw 11 delays at Dubai, among the highest for Indian carriers.

How travellers were impacted at major airports

• Expect longer gate and taxi times during peak waves, especially at major hub airports, as aircraft queues and runway congestion can slow departures and arrivals.
• Allow extra buffer for connections at hub airports.
• Monitor real-time status alerts for rolling delays.
• Keep flexible rebooking options ready where available, including alternative flight numbers or later departures, to reduce stress if schedules change unexpectedly.
• Plan for crowding at security and boarding areas during recovery periods, as passengers from multiple delayed flights are often processed simultaneously once operations begin to stabilize.

Learn More

Overview of Flight Cancellations

Cancellations were limited but distributed. At Dubai, US-Bangla Airlines and United Airlines accounted for the three cancellations, while at Riyadh, Saudia and Air China made up the three cancellations. Despite the relatively low cancellation count, repeated delays across Dubai International Airport and King Khalid International Airport significantly amplified disruption for major airlines including Emirates, FlyDubai, Saudia, IndiGO, Air India, and Turkish Airlines, with Dubai and Riyadh repeatedly emerging as the most affected cities. Across Saudi Arabia, sustained flight delays created ripple effects on regional and international routes, while in the UAE, heavy hub traffic intensified congestion throughout the day. The combined impact across Saudi Arabia and the UAE underscored how delay-heavy disruption can be just as impactful as outright cancellations, particularly at major transit hubs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware