Tourism operators in the UAE and Oman say Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are hurting them as well — even though the strikes aren't landing on their soil. The problem is perception: travellers, egged on by government advisories and insurance fine print, are treating the entire Gulf as one risk zone.
Naim Maadad, chief executive of Gates Hospitality, which runs the luxury Six Senses Zighy Bay resort on Oman's Musandam Peninsula, says his properties have seen barely any international tourism since late February. The Saudi strikes have made it worse, he argues, because embassies tightened their travel advisories again, insurers added restrictions, and some airline routes were cut back. Most of the bookings that do come in are now from local residents, and they tend to book at the last minute — hardly the foundation for a stable high-season revenue forecast.
His read on the situation is blunt: international media rarely distinguishes between countries in the Middle East, applying a blanket framing to the whole region. So when headlines say "strikes on Saudi Arabia," prospective visitors to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat hear "Gulf region unsafe" and quietly rebook elsewhere. Forward bookings across UAE and Omani hotels and tour operators have softened, though the actual data so far shows a far smaller decline than what Saudi Arabia itself is absorbing.
The gap between perception and reality is the story here. The UAE and Oman are geographically removed from the affected areas — Musandam, for instance, sits a couple of hours' drive from Dubai and has no direct connection to the incidents in question. Day-to-day life and travel within both countries continues normally, and hospitality businesses are keen to make that case to the small number of travellers still willing to look past the headlines.
Why does this matter if you're planning a trip? Two reasons. First, if you had your eye on a Gulf getaway and hesitated because of news from the region, it's worth checking your own government's advisory at the country level rather than the regional level — the guidance for the UAE and Oman is often materially different from Saudi Arabia's. Second, soft demand plus last-minute booking behaviour can translate into genuine deals: resort rates, especially at high-end properties like Zighy Bay-style escapes, may be more negotiable than usual, and you're unlikely to face crowds.
There's a real caveat, of course. Advisories can change quickly, insurance coverage for the region is patchier than normal, and if your travel plans depend on a payout-friendly policy, read the exclusion clauses carefully before committing. But for travellers comfortable with the current guidance, this is one of those rare moments when hesitating with the crowd works in your favour — the Gulf's flagship resorts are quietly waiting, and the ones who do show up are getting a very un-crowded version of it.
Skift
