Jordan, Lebanon and Syria reopened their airspace on Saturday after it was closed following missile attacks by Israel on Iran’s nuclear sites on Friday.
The announcements came despite Iran and Israel continuing to launch tit-for-tat strikes on Saturday.
Jordanian airspace reopened at 7.30am, while Lebanon said its airspace is open for flights, according to the state news agency.
Middle East Airlines also announced the resumption of all outbound and inbound flights from Beirut, NNA reported.
Syria also said on Saturday that it has reopened its airspace after “the circumstances necessitated the temporary closure of some air corridors during the past period”, according to Sana news agency. Syrian Airlines was resuming flights.
Other countries in the region, including Iran and Iraq, had also shut their airspace. The restrictions led to widespread travel disruption after airlines cancelled and delayed flights.
Iran originally announced its airspace would be closed until 2pm on Saturday, while the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Friday that the “complete suspension of air traffic at all Iraqi airports and the closure of Iraqi airspace” would continue until further notice.
On Friday, Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran, killing senior military officials and hitting key nuclear sites.
Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, raising fears of a wider Middle East war.
Later on Saturday, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said that “Tehran will burn” if Iran did not stop firing missiles at his country.
Etihad suspends flights to Tel Aviv and Amman
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed, with the UAE’s Etihad Airways announcing cancellation of services to and from Tel Aviv.
“Etihad continues to experience disruption to several services due to airspace closures and the ongoing regional situation,” Etihad's duty media officer told The National in a statement on Saturday.
As a result, all flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on June 14, June 15 and June 16 have been cancelled. Flights between Abu Dhabi and Amman, and Abu Dhabi and Beirut will resume on June 15 with a revised flight schedule for guests with existing bookings.
“Additionally, Etihad continues to re-route several flights in response to restricted airspace in parts of the Middle East,” the statement said.
Travellers transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to flights that have been cancelled will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. Affected guests are being assisted with alternative travel arrangements, the statement said.
“This remains a developing situation which is likely to cause some disruption and delays over the coming days,” the Abu Dhabi airline said.
Emirates cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran.
Other major airlines, including Lufthansa and Air India, rerouted services mid-flight on Friday.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Jawan
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
