Photo Credit: BOTAHRY DEX for Adobe Stock
Over the weekend, the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, which retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and other U.S. allies in the Middle East. The impact of the actions on travel was swift and severe.
Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were hit by Iranian strikes and airlines quickly cancelled flights across the Middle East. On March 2, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory urging Americans to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen immediately.
As a result of the conflict, some international events have been forced to cancel or postpone due to safety concerns. Others have said they are closely monitoring the situation and have not made any decisions to alter plans at the moment.
Where Events Are Being Cancelled and Postponed
Qatar announced that all public events, gatherings and entertainment held at hotels and tourism establishments are suspended until further notice. The Longines Global Champions Tour of Doha, which was scheduled for March 4-7 at the Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre, therefore has been cancelled. Meanwhile, the Doha Fashion Show is waiting to see if the situation changes ahead of its event on March 30–April 1. The show organizers released a statement from CEO Tiffany McNair saying they are "committed to following the guidelines of the Qatar Ministries, and if we are told that Doha Fashion Show has to wait, that is exactly what we will do."
In Dubai, a 7,000-person event has been postponed until September. Megacampus Summit, a conference for entrepreneurs, was expected to draw attendees from 102 countries around the world. The event was scheduled to take place March 6-7 at the Coca-Cola Arena.
"Over the past two days, the Summit team has received a huge number of messages expressing concern for Megacampus, and we are truly grateful for that. However, any business challenges we face are nothing compared to the safety and lives of people," said the organization in an online statement. "Over the weekend, we worked tirelessly with our partners and all the speakers to find a solution. Due to force majeure circumstances, we have made the decision to postpone the event to September."
Event organizers said that all Megacampus Summit tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates, and they are working to add more speakers to enhance the agenda.
Some Organizers Are Proceeding With Caution
Not all groups have made the decision to cancel or postpone. Some are taking a "wait and see approach." This includes the academic conference Social Capital, which is on the books for March 26-28 at Heriot-Watt University's Dubai Campus. Organizers released a statement on the event website that they are "closely monitoring the situation in the Gulf. As far as possible, it remains our intention to hold the Social Capital 2026 conference in person, subject to a cessation of hostilities and stable travel conditions." Plans are in the works for a virtual attendance option, and organizers said a final decision about hosting the in-person event will be made on March 16.
South of Dubai, the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi is scheduled to host the M&I Expo on April 14-16. A brief statement on the event website says, "We are monitoring the current situation in Abu Dhabi closely. We are in touch with our partners and regional authorities, further updates will follow."
Also in Abu Dhabi, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions said it is monitoring current events and will keep attendees informed of any changes regarding IAAPA Expo Middle East. Scheduled to take place March 30-April 2, this event will be the association's first expo in the Middle East region.
"The safety and well-being of our members, exhibitors, attendees and partners remain our highest priority," said IAAPA in a statement on the event website. "We are in communication with relevant stakeholders and will provide updates or guidance as needed. At this time, we continue to assess the situation carefully and thoughtfully."
Northstar will continue to update this story as more news unfolds. If you have a tip about an event that has been impacted by conflict in the Middle East, please email senior editor Elise Schoening.