Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

US warns of ‘missile or drone attacks’ in UAE travel advisory

US warns of ‘missile or drone attacks’ in UAE travel advisory

Emirati official says UAE remains one of the safest countries, pledging that Houthi attacks will not be ‘new normal’.

The US State Department has added the “threat of missile or drone attacks” to a travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates, which was already on a United States list of “do not travel” destinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department added the new potential threat to its travel warning for the UAE – already at the highest, “do not travel” level – on Thursday.

“The possibility of attacks affecting US citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern,” the Department of State said.

“Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighboring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Recent missile and drone attacks targeted populated areas and civilian infrastructure.”

The update came 10 days after a drone-and-missile attack claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed three people in Abu Dhabi. Another missile attack targeting the UAE capital on Monday temporarily disrupted air traffic.


The US military said it helped intercept two Houthi missiles on Monday that were aimed at Al Dhafra airbase, which hosts approximately 2,000 American service members.

The Department of State recently raised the travel advisory for most countries around the world, including neighbouring Canada, to “do not travel” due to COVID-19. There are four levels of warning, the lowest being “exercise normal precautions”.

In response to the American travel warning, an Emirati official told the AFP news agency that the UAE remains “one of the most secure countries”.

“This is not going to be the new normal for the UAE,” the official said. “We refuse to acquiesce to the threat of Houthi terror that targets our people and way of life.”

The Houthis recently started directly targeting the UAE – a key ally of Saudi Arabia, which is leading a bombing campaign against the Houthis.

The Saudi-led and US-backed coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to push back the Houthi rebels, who had taken over most of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and to restore the Gulf-backed government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.


The war has brought Yemen to the verge of famine, sparking what the United Nations has said is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

The coalition accuses the rebels of being proxies of Iran – a charge that both the Houthis and Tehran reject.

While the UAE said it has withdrawn its troops from Yemen, the Houthis have accused the country of backing anti-rebel forces across the country. The Houthis have said the attacks against the UAE are in retaliation to what they called “US-Saudi-Emirati aggression”.

“UAE will be an unsafe state as long as its aggressive escalation against Yemen continues,” a Houthi military spokesperson said after the deadly attack on Abu Dhabi on January 17.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×