Emirates has cancelled multiple flights between Dubai and Saudi Arabia on Sunday, 8 November, despite earlier schedules indicating that services to Riyadh and Dammam could resume that day, underlining how far the region's air links remain from normal.

Flight-status information for 8 November lists Emirates flights EK815, EK817 and EK819 from Dubai to Riyadh as cancelled, along with the return services EK816, EK818 and EK820 from Riyadh to Dubai. On the Dammam route, Dubai departures EK821, EK823 and EK827 were cancelled, as were the return services EK822, EK824 and EK828.

The cancellations will disappoint passengers who had expected the airline's Saudi network to begin returning to normal on Sunday. The advertised restoration of services on 8 November has not proceeded as originally anticipated across the listed flights, although the cancellations for a single day do not by themselves establish the schedule for the following week.

Not every Emirates route to Saudi Arabia is affected in the same way. On 8 November, Dubai to Jeddah flight EK801 and the return service EK802 were listed as cancelled, while other Jeddah flights remained scheduled. Services involving Medina were continuing, with some departures already reported as completed or in progress.

Other Gulf carriers have set out their own, longer suspensions. Etihad Airways has cancelled all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Dammam through Thursday, 19 November, although it has resumed its daily Abu Dhabi to Jeddah service. Flydubai has extended its Dubai to Riyadh and Dubai to Abha suspensions through 16 November, with Dammam flights scheduled to resume on 10 November. Several other flydubai destinations, including Jeddah, Madinah, Gassim, Ha'il and Tabuk, are operating.

The disruption follows a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi aviation infrastructure during October. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, through the Saudi Press Agency, reported attacks affecting Abha International Airport, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Attacks at Abha on 7 October killed two people and injured 28, according to the authority's statement.

The attacks are part of the wider confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which has intensified in recent weeks. Houthi missiles have been intercepted over Riyadh, and debris from intercepted missiles damaged an Aramco office building in the capital's financial district on Sunday. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen, and the Saudi-led coalition says it has destroyed missile launchers in the Saada region used in the attacks on Riyadh.

For travellers, the picture remains uneven and fast-moving. The reopening of an airport does not mean every airline has resumed all services to that destination, and flight availability depends on the individual carrier, route and operating conditions. Passengers booked on cancelled services are advised to check the airline's official flight-status page and to contact Emirates or their booking agent about rebooking or refund options, which depend on ticket conditions.

Anyone with a connecting itinerary should verify every sector before travelling, particularly where separate tickets are involved, and should confirm that an alternative arrival airport is suitable for the onward journey before changing bookings. Airlines have indicated that the situation remains under review and that further changes to schedules are possible.