A total of 3,129 flights departing from Saudi Arabia were cancelled or designated as no-fly between October 8 and 14.
Passengers travelling between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are facing continued flight disruptions on Wednesday, October 14, and Thursday, October 15, with Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia announcing cancellations across several routes.
The latest flight-status updates indicate that services departing from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to various Saudi destinations have been affected. While some cancellations are limited to October 14 and 15, Etihad Airways has extended suspensions on selected routes until October 18 and 19. Several other flights remain scheduled, are awaiting departure or have revised timings.
The cancellations come amid widespread disruption to flight operations across Saudi Arabia.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 3,129 of the 7,705 scheduled departures from Saudi Arabia between October 8 and 14 were either cancelled or classified as no-fly as of 8pm Riyadh time on October 13. This accounts for 40.61% of all scheduled departures during the period.
Travellers are advised to verify their flight status directly with their respective airlines before heading to the airport, as schedules and operational arrangements may change at short notice.
Saudi airports report major flight disruptions
Flight operations across Saudi Arabia have been significantly affected, with Cirium reporting the following figures:
- October 12: Of 1,048 scheduled departures, 632 were cancelled or classified as no-fly.
- October 13: A total of 556 out of 1,058 scheduled departures were affected.
- Riyadh: On October 13, 296 of 334 scheduled departures were affected, representing 88.62%.
- Other Saudi airports: Taif recorded a disruption rate of 66.67%, followed by Abha (57.89%), Dammam (50.88%), Jeddah (28.38%) and Medina (21.59%).
These figures reflect departures from all Saudi airports and are not limited to flights operating between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Emirates cancels several Dubai–Saudi flights
Emirates has listed numerous flight cancellations between Dubai International Airport and major Saudi destinations, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina, for October 14 and 15.
- Dubai–Riyadh: Emirates flights EK815, EK817 and EK819 departing Dubai, along with return services EK816, EK818 and EK820 from Riyadh, are cancelled on both October 14 and 15.
- Dubai–Jeddah: Flights EK801, EK803 and EK805 from Dubai, as well as EK802, EK804 and EK806 from Jeddah, are listed as cancelled on both days.
- Dubai–Dammam: Services EK821, EK823 and EK827 from Dubai, together with EK822, EK824 and EK828 from Dammam, are cancelled on October 14. The October 15 cancellation list additionally includes EK825 from Dubai and EK826 from Dammam.
- Dubai–Medina: Flight EK810 from Medina to Dubai is cancelled on October 14. On October 15, both EK809 from Dubai to Medina and the return service EK810 are listed as cancelled.
Passengers booked on these services should check the Emirates website or mobile app for the latest flight information and available travel options.
Etihad suspends Abu Dhabi–Saudi services until October 18 and 19
Etihad Airways has extended cancellations on several routes connecting Abu Dhabi with Saudi Arabia, affecting flights to Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah.
- Abu Dhabi–Dammam: All scheduled services between the two cities are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
- Abu Dhabi–Riyadh: Etihad has also suspended all flights on this route until October 18.
- Abu Dhabi–Jeddah: Flights EY601 from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah and EY602 on the return journey are cancelled from October 12 through October 18. Meanwhile, services EY603 and EY604 remain cancelled through Monday, October 19.
Etihad has urged affected passengers to regularly monitor their booking status and contact the airline for assistance with rebooking or alternative travel arrangements.
flydubai cancels flights to Riyadh, Abha and Neom
flydubai has announced multiple flight cancellations between Dubai and Saudi Arabia for October 14 and 15, affecting services to Riyadh, Abha and Neom. Additional cancellations are listed for Jouf, Ha’il and Hofuf on October 15, while several other routes remain scheduled or have revised flight timings.
Dubai–Riyadh flight cancellations
Flights FZ847, FZ841 and FZ855 from Dubai to Riyadh, along with return services FZ848, FZ842 and FZ856, are listed as cancelled on both October 14 and 15.
Dubai–Abha and Neom cancellations
Flight FZ811 from Dubai to Abha is cancelled on both days, while the status of return service FZ812 requires confirmation.
For Neom, flights FZ931 from Dubai and FZ932 on the return route are also cancelled on October 14 and 15.
Additional cancellations on October 15
On Thursday, October 15, flydubai has listed further cancellations affecting flights FZ913 and FZ914 between Dubai and Jouf, FZ821 and FZ822 between Dubai and Ha’il, and FZ809 and FZ810 between Dubai and Hofuf.
Other Saudi routes remain operational or await updates
Several flydubai services to Jeddah, Medina, Tabuk, Dammam and Gassim were listed as scheduled, arrived or operating with estimated timings on October 14 and 15.
Flights to AlUla also appeared in the October 15 schedule, although their final operational status was not confirmed. Similarly, definitive updates were unavailable for some services to Taif, Red Sea, Yanbu, Qaisumah and Nejran.
Passengers travelling on affected routes are advised to check flydubai’s official flight-status tracker before heading to the airport, as cancellations and departure timings may change.
Air Arabia cancels Sharjah flights to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif
Air Arabia has listed several flight cancellations between Sharjah and Saudi Arabia for October 14 and 15, affecting routes to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif. Other services to Jeddah, Medina, Gassim and additional destinations remain listed as not yet departed or have updated timings.
Sharjah–Riyadh and Abha cancellations
Flights G9151 and G9154 from Sharjah to Riyadh, along with return services G9152 and G9155, are cancelled on both October 14 and 15.
Services G9195 from Sharjah to Abha and G9196 on the return route are also listed as cancelled on both days.
Dammam, Taif and Tabuk flight updates
Flights G9160 and G9161 between Sharjah and Dammam are cancelled on October 14 and 15. However, other Dammam services, including G9163, G9164, G9167 and G9168, remain listed with departure statuses or updated timings.
Air Arabia has also cancelled flights G9187 and G9188 between Sharjah and Taif on both days.
For Tabuk, flights G9191 and G9192 were cancelled on October 14 but appeared as not yet departed on October 15.
Other Saudi destinations
Air Arabia services to Jeddah, Medina, Gassim and Al Jouf were listed as not yet departed, arrived or operating with revised timings. Flights G9197 and G9198 between Sharjah and Ha’il were listed as not yet departed on October 15.
No flights were found between Sharjah and Jizan on October 14, while information for October 15 was unavailable.
Saudi airports record widespread flight disruptions
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, Saudi Arabia recorded substantial flight disruptions between October 8 and 14, with 3,129 of 7,705 scheduled departures cancelled or classified as no-fly, representing 40.61%.
On October 12, 632 of 1,048 scheduled departures were affected, accounting for 60.31%. The following day, 556 of 1,058 departures were affected, or 52.55%.
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport experienced particularly severe disruption on October 13, with 296 of 334 scheduled departures affected, representing 88.62%.
Other affected airports included Taif (66.67%), Abha (57.89%), Dammam (50.88%), Jeddah (28.38%) and Medina (21.59%).
Saudia, flynas, flyadeal and international carriers affected
Cirium data for October 8–13 shows widespread disruption across Saudi and international airlines.
Saudia recorded 1,091 affected departures out of 2,273 scheduled flights (48%), while flynas reported 564 out of 1,183 (47.68%). Flyadeal recorded 496 affected departures out of 975 (50.87%).
Among international carriers, Akasa Air recorded an affected departure rate of 81.25%, followed by Emirates at 75.81% and Riyadh Air at 70.80%.
Other affected carriers included Air India Express (49.02%), Qatar Airways (38.71%), IndiGo (34.04%), Etihad Airways (34.21%) and flydubai (28.79%).
These statistics refer specifically to departures from Saudi Arabia, rather than the airlines’ worldwide operations. They include services classified as cancelled or no-fly and do not indicate that every UAE–Saudi flight has been suspended.
Passengers are advised to verify their flight status directly with their airline before travelling to the airport, as schedules, cancellations and departure times remain subject to change.
What UAE–Saudi travellers should know
Passengers flying between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as cancellations and schedule changes continue to affect selected routes.
Travellers should verify their flight numbers and travel dates, as a service cancelled on October 14 may operate on October 15. Those affected by cancellations should contact their airline for rebooking options, refunds or alternative travel arrangements, where applicable.
Passengers with connecting flights through Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam should also confirm their onward travel arrangements to avoid unexpected disruptions.
Although several services operated by Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia have been affected, not all flights between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are cancelled. Travellers should rely on official airline websites and mobile apps for the latest flight information, as schedules may change at short notice.
