Emirates and Etihad are offering new travel insurance products covering conflict-related disruptions and medical expenses as they work to lure travelers back to the Gulf region.
The peace framework between the U.S. and Iran is officially signed, but still shaky, and at least two airlines based in the Gulf Region have rolled out new insurance policies designed to allay the fears of travelers who might steer clear.
While travel insurance policies have been around for decades, when the war broke out, many travelers to the region found their insurance didn’t cover them. Most policies have exclusions for acts of war or terrorism. Now, two airlines based in the United Arab Emirates are offering insurance plans for travelers who might have concerns about conflict-related flight disruptions while traveling in the region.
Emirates, based in Dubai, is offering a new travel insurance policy from TravelGuard that offers the same types of coverage as many travel insurance policies, such as trip cancellation protection, compensation for baggage loss or damage, and emergency evacuation assistance. But Emirates enriches the policy with reimbursement of medical expenses up to $25,000 for injuries sustained during a conflict (which most travel insurance policies exclude), and a free trip extension of up to 30 days.
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Emirates is selling the policies at what they call an “accessible premium” to passengers making new bookings or for already booked passengers who want to add it to their existing reservation. Emirates says the coverage will also be offered regardless of government warnings about travel to the region, but there’s one exception on coverage—it’s available in a number of countries around the world, but not the United States, where insurance is typically administered by state, rather than federal law.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is also offering a new insurance product for its passengers, but is including it free of charge on all tickets sold outside the UAE. Etihad and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism will automatically add medical travel insurance underwritten by The National Insurance Company to international visitors arriving in Abu Dhabi on Etihad-operated flights from July through December 2026.
Travelers are covered for up to 15 days as part of the program, whether they’re transiting Abu Dhabi, stopping over en route to another destination, or have chosen Abu Dhabi as their destination. No application is required—the coverage is simply included as part of the ticket.
The move comes as the UAE—a popular tourist destination for visitors from around the world—struggles to reboot its visitor industry, promoting the country as safe to visit in spite of the uncertainty surrounding continued peace between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The UAE’s booking tourism industry was for decades underpinned by promises of political stability in the region—notions that were shattered on February 28. Residents are also spending less, unsure of what sort of recovery path the region’s tourism industry will take.
While airspace in the region has reopened, many European airlines are taking a conservative approach in returning service—many are waiting until autumn to resume flights to their previously served Gulf destinations. Even the region’s global carriers like Emirates, Etihad, and Doha-based Qatar Airways are operating fewer flights than they were before the war—simply because the amount of demand for their countries as a destination has slowed, with many governments still advising their citizens to avoid travel to the region.
The airlines hope that offering insurance will give those travelers some peace of mind.
“Listening to customer feedback, we realised that travel demand remains strong but there was a gap in the market with regards to travel insurance cover. Therefore, we acted to address our customers’ needs,” said Tim Clark, CEO of Emirates, in a statement. “Together with Travel Guard, a leader in the global insurance industry, 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.”
Outside of the insurance benefit, Emirates also pledges to offer airline-managed hotel accommodations during flight disruptions, including airspace closures—regardless of whether passengers have purchased the offered insurance.