Dubai, Doha, and Saudi airports hit by 611 delays and 66 cancellations

Disruption overview

Airports across the Middle East, including Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport, and major Saudi hubs, were hit by 611 delays and 66 cancellations from 26 August 2026 into the early hours of 27 August. Dubai logged 197 delayed departures, Doha recorded 148, and Saudi airports saw the highest number of outright cancellations, led by Saudia. Because the disruption was linked to airline operational issues such as crew limits, maintenance withdrawals, slot congestion, and missed connections, passengers on covered EU-originating or EU-bound journeys may be entitled to up to €600 compensation under EC 261 if their delay exceeded 3 hours or their flight was canceled at short notice.

Disruption details

Airports across the Middle East were hit by widespread disruption on 26 August 2026, with 611 delayed departures and 66 cancellations recorded across the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan as the problems continued into the early hours of 27 August. For passengers, this meant longer waits, missed onward connections, and last-minute changes through some of the region’s busiest transfer hubs.

The heaviest backlog built at Dubai International Airport (DXB), where 197 departures were delayed and 1 flight was canceled. Emirates accounted for 74 delayed rotations, while flydubai logged 70, putting pressure on one of the world’s most important east-west connection points.

In Doha, Hamad International Airport (DOH) followed with 148 delays and 3 cancellations. Qatar Airways made up most of that disruption, with 130 delayed services at the hub.

Saudi Arabia saw the biggest concentration of outright cancellations. King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) recorded 83 delays and 12 cancellations, all 12 tied to Saudia, while King Khalid International Airport (RUH) posted 76 delays and 16 cancellations, mainly involving Saudia and flynas.

Disruption also spread beyond the biggest hubs. Abha, Gizan, and Najran added a combined 24 cancellations, Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) logged 50 delays and 9 cancellations largely affecting Air Arabia, and Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) in Amman saw 42 delays and 1 cancellation, mainly on Royal Jordanian.

Across the region, the airlines most affected were:

• Qatar Airways recorded 133 delays.

• Saudia recorded 59 delays and 52 cancellations.

• flydubai recorded 75 delays.

• Emirates recorded 74 delays.

• flynas recorded 45 delays.

• Air Arabia recorded 39 delays and 12 cancellations.

• Royal Jordanian recorded 24 delays and 1 cancellation.

There wasn’t one clear external trigger behind the disruption. Instead, airlines were dealing with a chain of operational problems, including crew duty-time limits, aircraft being withdrawn for maintenance, slot congestion at major hub airports, and missed inbound connections that knocked later flights out of position.

Because those issues sit within airline operations, the disruption may keep rippling until carriers can realign aircraft and crews. That matters well beyond the Middle East, as Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharjah, and Amman are key transfer points for journeys between Europe, Asia, and North America.

If you’re traveling through any of these airports, it’s worth checking your airline’s app closely, saving receipts and screenshots, and asking about rebooking as soon as your flight changes. Those simple steps can help you manage the journey now and support any later claim.

If your disrupted trip started in the EU or was on an EU-bound itinerary covered by EC 261, a delay of more than 3 hours or a last-minute cancellation caused by airline operational issues could mean you’re entitled to up to €600 compensation. Airlines may also need to provide care such as meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation during long waits. If you want to see whether your flight qualifies, you can check your compensation with AirHelp in just 2 minutes.

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