No Guests Must Be Evicted, Dubai Authority Instructs Hotels

2026-03-01 11:14:24

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The department further instructed hotels to notify the DET 'in case a guest is unable to cover the costs associated with an extension of his or her stay'

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Hotel establishments in Dubai have received an email from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) instructing them to extend all necessary support to tourists impacted by the flight cancellations or delays.

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In an email seen by Khaleej Times, the DET has outlined how hotels should support stranded visitors.

“We kindly request your cooperation in ensuring that hotel guests who were due to check out but are unable to do so as a result of these circumstances are offered the option to extend their stay under the same conditions as their initial booking,” the email from DET read.“It is important that no guests are evicted under these circumstances.”

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The department further instructed hotels to notify the DET“in case a guest is unable to cover the costs associated with an extension of his or her stay” at the earliest opportunity. In this situation, the hotels have to provide additional details including the guest's initial length of stay, details of any stay extensions and whether accommodation costs are being covered by a third party.

This comes as over 1500 flights have been cancelled across the regio due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Several UAE airlines have suspended all flights to and from the UAE until Monday.

One hotel executive said they have been in talks with the DET and have promised their full cooperation.“All our hotels are full for now,” said Mohamed Rafi, Chief Executive Officer of Flora Hospitality.“DET has instructed us to extend the highest level of support for the travellers. We also have an internal policy to never increase prices during such situations and not evict a tourist in case they are unable to pay.”

In Abu Dhabi as well, the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) has directed hotels across the capital to extend the stay of guests unable to travel due to the flight disruptions, ensuring that the authority will cover the cost of the additional nights.

Earlier, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had also announced that the UAE will cover all accommodation and sustenance costs for affected and stranded passengers.