A travel expert has issued an update on travel to and from the Gulf region after the US and Iran signed an agreement ending fighting between the two countries. Speaking from outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Simon Calder said travel insurance was ‘once again valid’ after the presidents of both Iran and the US signed a deal to end hostilities.

That saw the FCDO drop its advice against travelling to various Gulf States. However, it did add that the ‘situation remains unpredictable’ amid regional tensions.

Mr Calder said that people looking to travel to the region could now do so ‘with some confidence’. He said: “I’m at the Foreign Office which has just changed its advice for travellers going to the Gulf region, in particular Dubai, which last year was visited by 1.4 million British travellers.

“As from now, the no-go warning which prevailed for the whole of the UAE, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as to the countries of Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, has been lifted. The Foreign Office still warns that you need to be ready for trouble to resume at any time, but it means that travel insurance is once again valid and anybody planning a trip to the UAE or Qatar or elsewhere in the region can do so with some confidence.

“The immediate effect, I think, is going to be a big marketing campaign by the giant airlines: Emirates of Dubai, Etihad of Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways based in Doha. They will be wanting to get people to both connect through their hubs, but also to take summer holidays. Be warned, it is extremely hot with average daily highs around 40°C.”

Not only do millions of people flock to the Gulf states for holidays, but many also use them as a transit point for trips to Asia and Australia. That meant tourism was hit particularly hard when the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in late February.

The FCDO decision means tourists can return without jeopardising their travel insurance. But that does not mean flights will immediately resume. Virgin Atlantic suspended flights until winter 2027 after the war started, and a spokesperson said on Thursday that this ‘remains the case’.

British Airways said earlier in June that it would not resume flights to the UAE until October 2026. Emirates has continued flights to and from the region during hostilities.

Mr Calder continued: “The immediate effect, I think, is going to be a big marketing campaign by the giant airlines: Emirates of Dubai, Etihad of Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways based in Doha. They will be wanting to get people to both connect through their hubs, but also to take summer holidays. Be warned, it is extremely hot with average daily highs around 40°C.

“But it means that anybody who’s planning to travel perhaps to Asia or to Australia now will be able to travel with confidence through one of the Gulf hubs. In addition, I imagine that airfares will fall because the Asian carriers will not be able to command such a premium.

“Stand by for some really good holiday offers, but I personally won’t be seeing you on the beach in Dubai until about November.”