Dubai in December 2026: Dubai Run, Dubai 7s, National Day and DSF

Dubai's late-2026 season runs from Dubai Run on Sunday 22 November to the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) opening on 4 December, with the Emirates Dubai 7s rugby on 27 to 29 November and UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad), whose standing holiday is 2 and 3 December, in between. The UAE has been affected by the regional conflict involving Iran since February 2026; what governments and airlines said on 9 November follows the table of dates.

The dates at a glance

Event	Dates	Where	Tickets or entry
Dubai Run	Sunday 22 November, 06:30	Sheikh Zayed Road	Free, with registration
Dubai 7s	27 to 29 November	The Sevens Stadium	From AED 75
UAE National Day	2 and 3 December (standing dates)	Across the UAE	Public holiday
Dubai Shopping Festival	4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027	Across Dubai	Programme not yet announced
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	4 to 6 December	Abu Dhabi	See formula1.com

Before you book: what governments and airlines say in November 2026

As of 9 November 2026, no closure of UAE airspace had been reported since 1 October, and the UAE press reported Emirates and flydubai operating from Dubai International. Gulf News reported partial UAE airspace closures from 28 February 2026 and the lifting of the UAE's precautionary measures on 2 May. Governments word their advice differently; if yours is not listed below, read its foreign ministry's page for the UAE:

Government	What its advice says	Updated (2026)
United Kingdom (FCDO)	Does not advise against travel to any part of the UAE	27 October
United States (State Department)	Level 3, "Reconsider Travel", according to press reports	23 October
Germany (Auswärtiges Amt)	Advises against non-essential travel; warns of possible complete airspace closures and flight cancellations	29 October
France (diplomatie.gouv.fr)	Calls on French nationals to stay vigilant, with shelter-in-place guidance if alerts resume; no level in the text	29 October
Spain (embassy in Abu Dhabi)	Advises postponing travel unless necessary; notes UAE airspace is open	15 July
Canada	"Exercise a high degree of caution"; avoid non-essential travel to Al Minhad Air Base and its surroundings	14 October
Australia (Smartraveller)	Lowered to "Exercise a high degree of caution", citing terrorism and the unpredictable regional situation	8 October

The FCDO says "The context in the Middle East remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high", and that British nationals "should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions". Gulf News reported a US Mission security alert on 7 November.

EASA, the EU aviation regulator, recommends in its bulletin CZIB-2026-07R3 that airlines do not fly over Gulf waters in the Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and Emirates flight regions "except to the extent necessary for arrivals at or departures from aerodromes within the affected FIRs". It is guidance to airlines, not a closure, and it is valid until 16 November unless EASA reviews it earlier.

Airlines, according to The National on 9 November and Gulf News on 8 November:

• Operating: Emirates and flydubai run their Dubai hubs, with Tel Aviv, Kuwait and some Saudi routes suspended or cancelled (Gulf News). British Airways resumed Heathrow to Dubai on 3 November after eight months; its Abu Dhabi route stays suspended.
• Suspended: Lufthansa, Swiss and Eurowings until 25 November; Air France until 11 November; Wizz Air for the winter 2026-27 season (The National, 8 October); KLM until 27 March 2027; Air Canada and Finnair into 2027. KLM also avoids Iranian and Iraqi airspace and parts of the Gulf.
• Not listed: the UAE press roundups of 8 and 9 November list no Dubai suspension for Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, AZAL, Aeroflot or Qatar Airways.

Check your own flight with your airline.

For UK travellers, the "against FCDO advice" exclusion is not triggered while the FCDO does not advise against travel, but UK comparison sites say policies commonly carry a general war exclusion. German and Spanish travellers, whose governments advise against non-essential travel or advise postponing, should check their policy wording.

At the time of writing, the Dubai Run page carried no notice on the situation, and Visit Dubai's site, which hosts the DSF page, links to its general travel updates. The Dubai 7s FAQ says the organiser "will continue to monitor the current regional situation in coordination with local authorities until the date of the event"; spectator tickets are "non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the organiser, in which case refunds will be given". Re-check the official pages above, your airline and your insurer in the week before you fly.

Dubai Run on 22 November: routes, registration and the Metro

Dubai Run is a free part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (31 October to 29 November), and in the organiser's words "Dubai Run is not a race": you run, jog or walk 5 km or 10 km. The start is at 06:30, the start line closes at 08:00 and the event ends at 09:00; arrival slots, from 04:00, are chosen at registration. A record 307,000 people took part in 2025, the Dubai Media Office said.

At the time of writing, registration is open to anyone with a DFC account, with no closing date published; press reports say visitors can sign up, and each participant registers individually.

Both routes start on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future. The 5 km passes Burj Khalifa and Dubai Opera to finish on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall; the 10 km crosses the Dubai Canal Bridge, loops along Sheikh Zayed Road and finishes at the Gate Building in DIFC.

Collect your bib and T-shirt at the Dubai Municipality 30x30 Fitness Village, Zabeel Park, from 9 to 21 November, open to 23:00 daily (from 16:00 Monday to Thursday, 12:00 on Friday and 08:00 at the weekend). Take the Red Line to Max station; parking is AED 10.

The Metro opens early on run day, the organiser says; the 2026 time is not yet published (in 2025 it was 03:00, Gulf News reported). Use World Trade Centre station for the 5 km and Emirates Towers for the 10 km, with at least AED 15 on a Silver Nol card, or AED 30 on Gold, for the return. Roads around the routes close on the day, with details from the RTA. There is no bag drop, and rucksacks are not permitted.

Runner's checklist:

• Arrival slot picked at registration
• Bib collected by 21 November
• Nol card with AED 15 (Silver) or AED 30 (Gold)
• No rucksack
• At the start in your arrival slot, before the 06:30 start (sunrise is about 06:40)

Emirates Dubai 7s, 27 to 29 November: tickets, timetable and The Sevens Stadium

The HSBC SVNS matches are on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November; Friday is for invitational tournaments.

Buy from the organiser's ticket shop, linked from the official Dubai 7s site; Platinumlist and UK package sellers are third parties the organiser does not name as official sellers. Prices are in AED before the checkout service fee, with status at the time of writing:

Ticket	Includes	AED	Status
General admission	Friday	75	On sale
General admission	Saturday or Sunday	455	On sale; Sunday "limited availability"
General admission, 3-day pass	All three days	595	On sale
3-day group discount, 4+ adults	All three days	446	Sold out
Family pass, 2 adults and 2 children	All three days	1,136	On sale
Children 10 to 14 / 4 to 9 / under 4	All three days	115 / 40 / 0	On sale
Reserved Seat, Standard / Premium	Seat Saturday and Sunday, general admission Friday	695 / 825	On sale
Sunroom hospitality	Saturday or Sunday / Sunroom Saturday and Sunday, general admission Friday	1,925 / 3,250	On sale

Under-15s go free on Friday only. For the weekend, children's tickets are 3-day passes (or the family pass), and the organiser says children over 3 and under 18 must have a ticket. Tickets live in the official Dubai 7s app: "Printed tickets will not be accepted", screenshots do not scan, and transfers go through the app.

On Sunday the women's Cup Final starts at 19:35 and the men's at 20:11. Melanie C and Jax Jones play the Beats on 2 stage over the weekend, the organiser says; the main stage headliners are not announced.

Last entry is 20:00, with no entry or re-entry after 21:00; before that, your digital ticket lets you leave and return. ID is needed to buy alcohol, not to enter, bags are scanned, and fancy dress is encouraged on the 2026 theme "Around the World". Gate opening times are not published.

The stadium is on the E66 Dubai to Al Ain road, 28 to 35 minutes' drive from Dubai International, Business Bay or Dubai Marina, the organiser says. With no Metro station and no published bus route, getting there means a taxi, a ride-hail or a car; parking is free for ticket holders, and there are a taxi rank and Careem and Uber pick-up points. Free shuttles run from the stadium only, every 15 minutes from 19:00 to 01:30, Friday to Sunday, to DMCC Metro (JLT), Sports City, Studio City, Financial Centre Metro (DIFC) and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Formula 1's Qatar Grand Prix falls on the same weekend; fans doing both can find Doha data on our Qatar eSIM page.

UAE National Day and the Dubai Shopping Festival opening

The government portal's public holidays page gives National Day as 2 and 3 December, a Wednesday and Thursday in 2026. The government's confirmation for 2026 had not been issued at the time of writing, and in 2025 the days moved to 1 and 2 December. Expect shops to open and waterfront roads to be busy. No 2026 fireworks times or venues are published; in 2025, press reports listed Al Seef, Dubai Festival City, Bluewaters, The Beach at JBR and Global Village.

The 32nd Dubai Shopping Festival runs from 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, organised by DFRE. Press releases in October said the full programme would be announced within a month; no opening-day programme, fireworks or concerts are published yet.

Global Village opens at 16:00, to midnight Sunday to Wednesday and to 01:00 Thursday to Saturday; entry is AED 30, or AED 25 Monday to Thursday except public holidays.

The Formula 1 calendar lists the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 4 to 6 December, with no cancellation notice.

Entering the UAE: who needs a visa

The UAE foreign ministry's visa exemptions list marks each passport below as visa-free or visa required. Stay lengths follow the UAE's current rules, which can change; where no government is named, the length is as Khaleej Times reported on 27 June 2026, with no fee.

Passport	Entry	Stay
United Kingdom	Visa-free	Up to 90 days in any 180 (FCDO)
United States	Visa-free	90 days in 180, not renewable (UAE mission in New York)
EU except Ireland; Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Canada, Australia, Brazil, China	Visa-free	90 days
Ireland, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan	Visa-free	30 days
Mexico	Visa-free	Check before you travel
Turkey, Iran, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Philippines	Visa required in advance	Set by the visa
GCC nationals	No visa needed	Per the government portal

Visa-required passports need a visa arranged before flying. GDRFA Dubai's tourist visa costs AED 200 for 30 days or AED 300 for 60, plus 5% VAT, through an accredited tourism company, with 48 hours' processing, a return or onward ticket and health insurance valid in the UAE; the government portal says airlines, hotels and licensed travel agents can also apply, and UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas. Indian and Filipino passport holders with a US, EU, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada visa or residence permit valid for six months or more can get a 14-day visa, extendable once, or a 60-day one that cannot be extended, through GDRFA, used within 30 days of issue.

Iranian passport holders need a visa in advance; whether tourist visas are currently being issued could not be confirmed on an official page at the time of writing, so ask the airline or agent arranging the visa before paying for anything else.

Passports must be valid for six months from entry. Medicines the UAE classes as narcotic or controlled need approval in advance from the UAE Ministry of Health, the UK government says, with up to three months' supply allowed, or one month where approval is needed. CBD products are illegal, the FCDO says, and cash and valuables over AED 60,000 must be declared. Check your case on the government portal's tourist visa page and the MOFA list.

Airport, Metro, taxis and a day in Abu Dhabi

At Dubai International, Emirates uses Terminal 3; Turkish Airlines, AZAL, Aeroflot, Pegasus, Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways and Qatar Airways use Terminal 1; flydubai uses Terminals 2 and 3 and also Dubai World Central (DWC), says the Dubai Airports directory.

The Metro Red Line stops at Terminals 1 and 3 only. The RTA timetable gives hours of 05:00 to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, to 01:00 on Friday, and 08:00 to midnight on Sunday, so an early Sunday arrival has no Metro unless hours are extended, as on Dubai Run day. A Silver Nol card costs AED 25 with AED 19 of credit, and its fares are AED 3 in one zone, AED 5 across two adjacent zones and AED 7.50 beyond.

Airport taxis cost AED 20 to 25 to start, then AED 2.62 per kilometre, according to Dubai Taxi and Dubai Airports. Uber and Careem have a passenger lounge at Terminal 3, the Dubai Media Office announced in August 2026.

For the Grand Prix or a day in Abu Dhabi, Khaleej Times reports that Etihad Rail trains run from Al Yalayis station in Jumeirah Golf Estates in about 1 hour 4 minutes, with Comfort fares from AED 39, and that RTA buses E100 (from Al Ghubaiba) and E101 (from Ibn Battuta) take about two hours.

Weather, money and local rules

National Center of Meteorology averages for the whole UAE, as Khaleej Times and Zawya reported them, are highs of 29 to 32 °C and lows of 19 to 21 °C in November, and highs of about 22 to 27 °C and lows of 13 to 17 °C in December, when fog is more frequent. The sun sets at about 17:30 and rises between 06:40 and 06:50, so Dubai Run starts before sunrise and the 7s finals run after dark: light kit for the 06:30 start, a layer for an evening at the stadium.

The Central Bank pegs the dirham at 3.6725 to the US dollar, and VAT is 5%; tourists can reclaim VAT on purchases of at least AED 250, less a deduction and a fee, the Federal Tax Authority says. Dubai's May 2026 relief package suspended the Tourism Dirham (AED 7 to 20 per room per night) and the sales fees on hotel and restaurant bills for three to twelve months, the Dubai Media Office said; whether that still applies in late November is not published, so check what your bill shows.

Tourists drink in licensed venues, and the licensed retailers say visitors get a free alcohol licence with their passport from age 21. Drinking in public is prohibited. The weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Visit Dubai's guidance is beachwear at beaches and pools rather than in malls, and conservative dress at historical and cultural sites.

Staying connected in Dubai: why a Donesim eSIM fits

The TDRA, the regulator, lets visitors buy up to two SIMs per operator with a passport, activated at the point of sale. Its FAQ does not restrict using a foreign eSIM or roaming on a home SIM; the same network rules apply to them. WhatsApp and FaceTime voice and video calls may not work on any network in the UAE, including a foreign eSIM or a roaming home SIM; messages, maps and other data work. The regulator licenses specific calling apps (Botim and Microsoft Teams are often cited); check the TDRA's current list.

e&'s Visitor Line costs AED 49 for 2 GB and 30 minutes over 28 days, up to AED 319 for unlimited data over 10 days, VAT included, collected at the airport or in an e& store with your passport and visa. Virgin Mobile's tourist plans, as an eSIM or a physical SIM, run from AED 95.24 for 3 days to AED 285.71 for 20 days and cannot be renewed, and du has offered a free 24-hour eSIM at the airport; check its current terms. A local line gives you a UAE number, and the e& bundles include minutes.

With Donesim, you install the eSIM at home, and data is ready for maps, taxi apps and your 7s tickets once you switch roaming on after landing. Checkout asks for an email, not a passport, and your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. Donesim's UAE page names du and Etisalat (e&) as its networks and also says WhatsApp and FaceTime calls may not work on any local network.

At the time of writing, 3 GB for 15 days costs 9.10 USD, against AED 49, about 13 USD at the peg, for 2 GB over 28 days on the airport Visitor Line. 5 GB for 30 days costs 15.20 USD, 10 GB for 30 days 27.55 USD, 20 GB for 30 days 49.40 USD and Unlimited for 7 days 45.37 USD. The plans are data only, with no UAE number, and Donesim does not currently renew or extend a plan in place, so pick a size for the whole trip. To compare, check your home operator's UAE rate before you fly.

Set up your eSIM before you fly

1. Check that your phone is on our compatibility list and not carrier-locked.
2. Buy a day or two before you fly, since Donesim's page says a plan "may begin when it is provisioned, installed, activated, or first connected".
3. Install it on home Wi-Fi with our install walkthrough.
4. Before you land, save your Dubai Run confirmation and load your tickets in the Dubai 7s app.
5. Get a Nol card at the airport Metro station.
6. After landing, switch on data roaming for the eSIM line only, and keep your home line for SMS codes.
7. Message rather than call on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dubai safe to travel to right now?

As of 9 November 2026, governments answer differently. The UK (updated 27 October) does not advise against travel. Canada (14 October) and Australia (8 October) say to exercise a high degree of caution, and France (29 October) asks its nationals to stay vigilant. Press reports put the US advisory at Level 3, "Reconsider Travel", on 23 October. Germany (29 October) advises against non-essential travel, and Spain (15 July) advises postponing unless necessary. Read your own government's page before you book and again in the week before you fly.

Are flights to Dubai being cancelled in December 2026?

In UAE press roundups of 8 and 9 November, Wizz Air's Dubai flights are cancelled for the winter, KLM's are paused until 27 March 2027, Air Canada's and Finnair's are suspended into 2027, and the Lufthansa Group's suspension runs to 25 November. Emirates and flydubai operate their Dubai hubs, and British Airways resumed Heathrow to Dubai on 3 November. Your airline has the answer for your own December flight.

When is Dubai Run 2026 and how do you register?

Sunday 22 November 2026, starting at 06:30. Registration is free through a Dubai Fitness Challenge account, one per runner, and you choose your arrival slot when you register. Bibs are collected at Zabeel Park, by you or by someone holding your registration QR code, the organiser's FAQ says.

How much are Dubai Sevens tickets and where do you buy them?

From the organiser's shop at tickets.emiratesdubai7s.com: AED 75 for Friday, 455 for Saturday or Sunday and 595 for three days, plus a service fee. Spectators are refunded only if the organiser cancels.

Do WhatsApp calls work in Dubai?

They may not, on any UAE network. Messages work as ordinary data; for voice, use a TDRA-licensed app, a local line's minutes or your home SIM's roaming minutes.

For anyone staying on, Formula 1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix follows on 4 to 6 December. Every plan for the trip is on Donesim's UAE page.