site.btaUPDATED Dubai Orders Hotels Not to Evict Guests Amid Flight Disruptions, Says High Representative for Gaza

The Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai (DET) has issued an official directive to all hotels not to evict guests who cannot leave because of cancelled flights and closed airspace, Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov said in a Bulgarian-language post on Facebook on Monday. He added that if a guest’s check-out date arrives but they cannot depart, the hotel must allow an extension under the same conditions as the original booking.

“If you are unable to cover the cost of the extension and the hotel immediately notifies DET, the state will intervene,” Mladenov said.

He said this aligned with a national decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and that the UAE would cover accommodation, meals, drinks and assistance with rebooking flights for all affected and stranded passengers, whether tourists or transit travellers. More than 20,000 people have already been assisted and placed in full-service hotels, he added, noting that in Abu Dhabi the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) covers the additional nights directly, while in Dubai this responsibility falls to DET.

Mladenov said the flight situation in the UAE remained complicated because of events in the region, but added that emergency flights would begin operating from airports to help stranded passengers return home. He said schedules would be communicated directly by airlines to passengers depending on their destinations.

“Please, if you are among those affected, do not go to the airport on your own; wait for the airline to call you with the details for the date and flight,” Mladenov said, adding that following instructions would help avoid chaos and make the process smoother for everyone.

He advised people with relatives or friends stranded in Dubai or Abu Dhabi to contact the hotel or the airline, Etihad or Emirates, through official channels and not to rely on or spread rumours.