Tens of thousands of people are reported to be stuck across the Gulf, with limited options for leaving a region abruptly engulfed by war.

Airspace remains closed in Qatar, where around 8,000 transit passengers were left stranded after the start of US–Israeli attacks on Iran.

Only a restricted number of flights were permitted to depart the United Arab Emirates from Monday, leaving tourists and some expatriates scrambling to find alternative routes as Iran launched strikes across the Gulf.

Dubai and Doha are major hubs for east–west air travel, funnelling long-haul routes between Europe and Asia and processing tens of thousands of passengers each day — disruption there can ripple quickly across global flight networks.