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When insurers and reinsurers invoke war exclusions, they stop paying. We don't stop helping.

Since the escalation of conflict in the region following the US-Israel military operation against Iran in late February, the UAE has become one of the most complex active crises in international travel assistance. Airspace closures grounded tens of thousands of travelers. Emirates, Etihad, and flydubai suspended scheduled operations. Repatriation flights began operating in limited windows — and for many travelers, the wait stretched from days into weeks.

MDabroad has been operating in the UAE throughout. Our travel desk, case managers, and local partners on the ground have not stood down. This article is an account of what we've been doing — and why we believe the assistance function must never stop, even when the financial function does.

What War Exclusions Actually Mean for Travelers

Standard travel insurance policies — and the reinsurance treaties that back them — include war exclusions. When a government or reinsurer declares that an active conflict meets the threshold for exclusion, insurers are no longer obligated to pay claims arising from that conflict. Medical evacuations, trip interruptions, and in many cases even hospitalization benefits can be suspended.

This is legal. It is standard. And it leaves travelers stranded — not just physically, but financially and medically — at exactly the moment they need support the most.

⚠️ If your travel insurer has invoked a war exclusion for the UAE conflict, you may still be entitled to assistance services — even if reimbursement is suspended. Contact your assistance company directly.

MDabroad's position is straightforward: the assistance function — reaching a member, coordinating a hospital, arranging a telemedicine consult, staying in contact — does not require an active financial authorization. We continue to provide those services as a matter of professional obligation, regardless of what a policy pays.

What We've Been Doing on the Ground

Our operations in the UAE have been running continuously since the crisis began. Here is a summary of the coordination we've undertaken:

What Our Partners Are Saying

"Medical services in Dubai have remained largely intact throughout this period. The major hospital networks — American Hospital, Mediclinic, Saudi German — have all maintained full operational capacity. We've seen remarkable continuity of care, and our coordination with MDabroad's case managers has made a real difference in ensuring that foreign travelers get the right level of care without unnecessary escalation."

— LGA Assistance, Local Partner, Dubai

"The travelers who fared best were the ones with a real assistance company behind them — not just a policy. MDabroad was one of the few operations calling us proactively, verifying member status, and asking what we needed rather than waiting for a crisis to escalate."

— CONNEX Assistance, Regional Partner, UAE

The Hospitals That Have Stayed Open

Dubai's healthcare infrastructure has demonstrated significant resilience during this crisis. The major international facilities — those accredited to serve foreign patients and experienced in insurance coordination — have continued operating throughout:

For travelers with non-emergency needs, telemedicine remains the fastest, safest, and lowest-cost path to medical support — and it's one of the primary tools MDabroad has deployed throughout this situation.

A Note on Repatriation

As of mid-March, Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia have collectively operated over 6,600 repatriation and relief flights from the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. SpiceJet operated special relief flights from Fujairah and Dubai through March 15-16. The situation is improving — but it remains fluid, and for travelers without an organized assistance company behind them, the information environment has been chaotic.

Our travel desk has been monitoring this in real time, coordinating with Emirates on available departure windows, and helping members understand what documentation is required for priority repatriation status in certain corridors.

Emirates official travel updates — including flight status, cancellations, and repatriation information — are published in real time at emirates.com/travel-updates. This is the primary source for current flight availability out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Official Government Resources for Travelers in the UAE

If you or your members are currently in the UAE, register with your home country's embassy and monitor official government alerts. Below are the primary sources for real-time security guidance and consular assistance:

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇦 Canada

🇧🇷 Brazil

What This Should Tell the Industry

The UAE crisis is a stress test of the entire international assistance model. It exposes a fundamental gap: when exclusions activate, many insurers step back entirely. The member is left without anyone to call.

The companies that will be remembered — and chosen again — are the ones that stayed in contact. That kept the phone line open. That coordinated a telemedicine call at 2am for a traveler in a hotel with no idea what to do next. That's what assistance is supposed to mean.

MDabroad will continue operating in the UAE as long as there are members who need us. The insurance stops paying. We don't stop helping.

If you have members currently in the UAE and need coordination support, contact us directly at contact@mdabroad.com. We are actively managing cases and can be reached 24/7 through our operations line.