Emirates has become the first airline in the world to offer comprehensive travel cover to many international passengers traveling through and to Dubai, following months-long regional uncertainty that continues to affect regular travel insurance.
The new insurance product includes conflict-related medical expense protection, free 30-day trip extension, airline-managed hotel stays and support during disruption. Under the policy, supported by Travel Guard, it also promises to rebook passengers on other airlines during conflict-related cancellations at no extra cost. Emirates customers can purchase the cover at the time of booking or add it to existing bookings.
With many Gulf countries subject to the highest level of government travel warning due to the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, passengers traveling to and transiting through regional hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have often found themselves uninsured. Emirates’s Comprehensive Travel Cover is not affected by any change to government travel advice.
Emirates’ president, Tim Clark said: “Emirates is pleased to offer an enhanced travel insurance product that is as comprehensive as it is reassuring for a wider range of situations. With strong demand for travel in summer, we are proud to offer our customers added confidence in planning their journeys to and through Dubai when they book with Emirates.”
Emirates’ announcement is intended to give passengers more confidence when considering travel to the region. Currently, approximately 40,000 passengers transit through Dubai International Airport daily, which is down from a pre-war figure of 100,000 per day.
Etihad Airways is also set to offer insurance to international passengers visiting the UAE. Last week, the airline announced it had partnered with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) to provide free health insurance for all its international passengers landing in the UAE.
The complimentary coverage, provided by Daman (part of PureHealth), will be available from July to December 2026 and will offer cover for 15 days, giving tourists ample opportunity to explore the capital.
In a statement, Antonoaldo Neves, the chief executive officer at Etihad, said, “Giving comprehensive medical insurance with every eligible Etihad ticket means our guests can focus entirely on experiencing the extraordinary Emirati hospitality Abu Dhabi has to offer. This is what it looks like when an airline and a destination truly invest in their visitors.”
Before details of Emirates’s insurance product were announced, the airline’s president Tim Clark revealed its plan in an interview with the Financial Times on June 11. Clark told the UK newspaper that the airline would create a “reasonably priced” policy that would guarantee travelers getting back, “irrespective [of whether it’s] on Emirates or not.”
“I think one of the big concerns (for travelers) is that if they get caught overseas and they can’t get back,” Clark says. The airline, which made a profit of $6.6 billion between March 2025 and March 2026, is working with insurance companies “to do the right thing.”
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the full resumption of air traffic on May 2, lifting the remaining restrictions on the country’s airspace. Emirates is currently flying to 138 destinations worldwide, while Etihad is serving over 80 routes.
A version of this story originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller ME.
