Travel safety comparison · Middle East
UAE vs Iran: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of UAE and Iran for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
UAE carries a materially lower safety risk than Iran on the composite Warnely score: 35/100 against 72/100, a gap of 37 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where UAE scores 1/5 against Iran's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on UAE and a Level 4 on Iran. Women's-safety rating differs: UAE is Very Safe and Iran is Exercise Caution.
| 🇦🇪UAE | 🇮🇷Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 35 / 100 | 72 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | avoid all but essential travel to whole country | avoid all travel to whole country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) | Level 4 (Do Not Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #52 | #142 |
| Drug law | Death penalty possible | Death penalty possible |
| Women's safety rating | Very Safe | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | death |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | AED | IRR |