More than 100 days after the first American bombs were dropped in Iran and conflict ensued in the Middle East, last week saw news of a ‘memorandum of understanding’ agreed between the US and Iran following months of difficult negotiations.Many British holidaymakers will be rejoicing, as on June 18 the tentative peace deal prompted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to lift its ‘all but essential travel’ ban to one of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations, Dubai, and its neighbouring emirates.Travel bans to other Middle Eastern states, such as Qatar and parts of Saudi Arabia have also been removed.Popular with business and leisure travellers, some 1.4million of us visit Dubai every year. The outbreak of the war at the end February led to thousands of passengers calling off flights and holidays.By early March 29,000 flights scheduled across the region were cancelled, aviation analytics provider Cirium reported – with some Britons stranded for up to 12 days.Given Dubai’s importance as a transit destination (some 95.2million people went through the airport in 2025), the suspension of flights also made life difficult for travellers heading further afield.Connecting flights via Dubai to destinations such as the Maldives and Australia were heavily impacted.But with the FCDO ban lifted, air carriers are gradually resuming activity in the region. British Airways will restart flights to Doha on August 1 and to Riyadh on August 8. Flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman in Jordan are paused until the end of the summer season and are scheduled to resume on October 25. The Foreign Office lifted travel bans to Dubai on June 18, following a ‘memorandum of understanding’ agreed between the US and Iran Many favourie Dubai hotels, such as Raffles, pictured, are offering stays at a fraction of their usual priceBA ?also plans to reduce services to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Tel Aviv to one daily flight when they resume and will drop Jeddah as a destination.KLM is expected to resume flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh and the Saudi city of Dammam from August 10. Meanwhile, Emirates is already operating 97 per cent of its global network from its main hub in the UAE.It is ‘one of the most significant travel updates we’ve seen this year’, says Stuart Armsby, Kenwood Travel’s Middle East product manager. He expects ‘confidence to return quickly’ to the region.Travel specialist Michelle Amor says the change to FCDO advice is ‘excellent news’, because not only does it reopen Dubai for British holidaymakers, but Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka as well.Crucially, the lifting of restrictions also means that standard insurance policies are valid again.And with tour operators eager to get holidaymakers back to the region, there are lots of great deals available – at a fraction of the usual cost. The box above rounds up some of the best on offer from September. DESERT DEALS Save 50% and spend five nights at the chic Anantara, The Palm, Dubai Resort from £949pp, with return Emirates flights from Gatwick. Book by August 31 for departure September 2 (kenwoodtravel.co.uk).Save £600 on a five-night stay at the five-star Al Habtoor Grand Resort is available from £939pp, including direct return flights from Gatwick with Emirates and return private transfers. Departs September 3 (travelbag.co.uk).Save 45% on five-night, half-board price stay at Le Royal Meridien Dubai is now available from £999pp, including Emirates flights from Gatwick. Book by July 3 for departure on September 2 (kenwoodtravel.co.uk).Save 20% with Raffles, The Palm Dubai, on all rooms and suites, with complimentary stays for up to two children under the age of 12. Offer also includes 25 per cent savings on dining experiences at restaurants onsite, and a complimentary spa treatment when booked alongside selected treatments (raffles.com). Save 55% on a five-night, half-board stay at the JA Beach Hotel is now available from £989pp, with return flights from Gatwick with Emirates included. Book by July 7 for departure September 2 (kenwoodtravel.co.uk).Save 40% on a three night, half-board at the elegant Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah from £659pp, including return flights and private transfers. Children stay free, on an all-inclusive basis (destination2.co.uk). Save £280 on five nights half-board at JA Lake View with return direct flights from Gatwick with Emirates and private transfers. Includes access to the resort’s 40 different activities, 26 restaurants and 800 metres of private beach (travelbag.co.uk).