If you find yourself travelling to the USA or UK in the near future, you need to be aware of some new regulations that have been put in place.

It was announced the other day that certain airlines in the Middle East will be hit hard by an electronics ban, with passengers no longer allowed to bring electronical devices bigger than a smartphone on board in hand luggage. Instead these items must be checked in to be placed in the hold of the plane.

Etihad Airways and Emirates are two of the airlines that won’t allow passengers to carry laptops, e-readers, tablets and cameras with them as hang luggage. An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the airline was subject to the “new security directive issued by the [USA] Transportation Security Administration.”

These rules only apply if you’re flying direct to the States or Britain. The US ban applies to 10 international airports and airlines in Amman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

For the UK, the ban applies to fewer countries. Flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia must follow the regulation.

The ban for UAE flights to the US will come into effect on 25 March, 2017, and, for now, the ban is indefinite. But if you’re travelling from the UAE to the UK, you’ll still be able to take larger electronics on board as hand luggage.

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