Ranking
The 10 worst airport lounges in the Middle East and Turkey: 2026
Istanbul hosts three of the ten. In Dubai the same Priority Pass card opens a better room nearby; in Jeddah, Antalya and Tel Aviv it doesn't.
- 7
- 4
1. Plaza Premium Lounge – Marmara
SAW · International Terminal · Istanbul
2.5/5 overall2.5 overall. Wi-Fi 1; cleanliness, food, service, restrooms 2. Use Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge (3.6) near gates 204-205, same Priority Pass/Plaza Premium access.
Plaza Premium's international lounge at Sabiha Gökçen, near gate 205-B on the international departures level. Open 24 hours daily per Plaza Premium.
Get in with: Plaza Premium, Priority Pass
2. Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures)
JED · Terminal 1 · Jeddah
2.5/5 overall2.5 overall. Views 1; cleanliness, drinks, service 2. Only Priority Pass lounge we list at JED. Saudia AlFursan (3.7), same T1, is Saudia/SkyTeam premium only.
In Terminal 1 international departures near Gate 39. It serves freshly made local and international dishes, with tea, coffee and soft drinks, free Wi-Fi and TV channels including sports and news. Open 24 hours.
Get in with: Priority Pass
3. Comfort Lounge
AYT · Terminal 2 · Antalya
2.9/5 overall2.9 overall. Drinks 1, no bar; food, power, restrooms 2. The only well-rated lounge we list at Antalya, so on a long wait it still beats the gate.
Rated 2.9/5 across 11 measures. Paid entry or Priority Pass; Priority Pass members may bring guests for the guest fee.
Get in with: Priority Pass
4. SkyTeam Lounge
DXB · Terminal 1 (Concourse D) · Dubai
2.9/5 overall2.9 overall. Coffee, drinks, workspace 2; Priority Pass 02:00-20:00 only. Marhaba Lounge (D), same concourse, rates 4.5 on Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey.
Opened 2016. Rated 2.9/5 across 9 measures. 3 showers. SkyTeam first/business passengers: no guests. SkyTeam Elite Plus: 1 guest travelling on a SkyTeam flight.
Get in with: Priority Pass, SkyTeam Elite Plus Lounge Access
5. Plaza Premium Lounge (A)
DXB · Terminal 3 (Concourse A) · Dubai
3.1/5 overall3.1 overall. Workspace 2, no showers, 2-hour Priority Pass cap. Marhaba Lounge (A), also between A2 and A3, rates 4.6 on Priority Pass with a 3-hour cap.
A 1,260 sq m lounge on the upper level of Terminal 3 Concourse A (West Wing, between gates A2 and A3).
Get in with: Plaza Premium, Priority Pass
6. Ahlan Lounge (A)
DXB · Terminal 3 (Concourse A) · Dubai
3.5/5 overall3.5 overall. Views 1, exclusivity 2, no showers. Marhaba Lounge (A), same concourse, rates 4.6 on the same Priority Pass card.
Rated 3.5/5 across 11 measures. Priority Pass members: guests per the card's allowance. Maximum stay 3 hours; children under 2 free.
Get in with: Priority Pass
7. Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge
SAW · International Terminal · Istanbul
3.6/5 overall3.6 overall. Wi-Fi and exclusivity 2, views 5. The better of SAW's two rated Priority Pass lounges; the only alternative is Marmara (2.5), so use this one.
Rated 3.6/5 across 14 measures. Paid day entry and lounge-network members; all visitors need a same-day boarding pass for an international flight.
Temporarily closed. Check before you go.
The Gulf hubs have some of the best lounges anywhere, which is why the weak ones stand out.
How the list was built: these are Lounge Frog's own ratings. I only counted open lounges with at least 8 rated metrics, which leaves 40 in the Middle East and Turkey, and I left out nap suites, spas and restaurants (none of those made the bottom of the table here anyway). Scores this close are close: the gap between #1 and #2 is nothing, and #8 to #10 sit within a tenth of each other.
One record I left out on purpose. Our Ahlan Lounge (D13) in Dubai's Concourse D rates 2.8 and would sit at #4, but I can't confirm it's a different room from the Ahlan Business Class Lounge in the same concourse, which rates 4.5. Other lounge guides list only one Ahlan Priority Pass lounge in Concourse D. Until that's sorted out, I'd rather not call it the region's fourth-worst lounge.
Istanbul and Antalya: the bottom of the table#
#1, Plaza Premium Lounge – Marmara, Sabiha Gökçen, 2.5. The lowest-rated lounge in the region, by a hair. The fix is easy: the Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge is near gates 204 and 205, takes the same Priority Pass and Plaza Premium access, and rates 3.6.
#10, Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge, Sabiha Gökçen, 3.6. Yes, the alternative is on the list too. It's here because the bottom of this region is short of weak rooms, not because it's bad: views score 5 and most things score 4.
#3, iGA Pop Up Lounge, Istanbul Airport, 2.6. A compact room opposite gate A6 in the international terminal. This is the clearest swap on the list: the main IGA Lounge, on the mezzanine just after passport control, takes the same Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey cards and rates 4.6 with six showers.
#4, Comfort Lounge, Antalya, 2.9. This is where Antalya's size matters. It's also the only lounge at AYT we have enough ratings for, so there's nothing better I can point you to.
Dubai: Priority Pass rooms with better neighbors#
#5, SkyTeam Lounge, 2.9. The alliance lounge in Terminal 1 Concourse D. Priority Pass members can only enter between 02:00 and 20:00. With Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey, go to the Marhaba Lounge (D) in the same concourse, which rates 4.5 and scores 5 for quiet, seating and showers.
#6, Plaza Premium Lounge (A), 3.1. Terminal 3, Concourse A, between gates A2 and A3 on Level 4. The Marhaba Lounge (A), at the same end of the concourse, rates 4.6, has four showers and a three-hour cap.
#8, Ahlan Lounge (A), 3.5. Mostly fine: food, coffee, seating, quiet and service all score 4. Views score 1, exclusivity 2, and there are no showers. It's on Level 6 of Concourse A. Same answer as above: Marhaba Lounge (A), 4.6, same card.
If you're flying Emirates in business, none of this applies to you. The Emirates lounges are covered in our Emirates ranking, and the top of the table is in the 10 best airport lounges in the UAE.
Doha: the economy-class status room#
#9, Platinum Lounge (South), 3.5. This is where Qatar Privilege Club Platinum and oneworld Emerald members go when they're flying economy, next to gate A1. If you hold LoungeKey or DragonPass, or are willing to pay, the Oryx Lounge (South) rates 4.8. Business-class passengers get Al Mourjan Business Lounge (South) at 4.6.
Jeddah and Tel Aviv: nowhere better to go#
#2, Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures), Jeddah, 2.5. Tied with Marmara on score, but its metrics are slightly less bad overall. It's the only Priority Pass lounge we list at Jeddah. If you're flying Saudia in business or hold SkyTeam Elite Plus on a Saudia flight, the Saudia AlFursan Lounge in the same terminal rates 3.7 with food and coffee at 5, though its Wi-Fi scores 1.
#7, King David Lounge, Tel Aviv, 3.3. EL AL's lounge in Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion, renovated in 2025. Access is for EL AL premium passengers and eligible Matmid members. It's the only lounge at TLV with enough ratings to judge, so I have no rated alternative to offer.
Just missed#
Three lounges sit at 3.7, a tenth above #10: Al Maha Lounge (South) in Doha (crowding 1), Ahlan Lounge at B in Dubai and the Saudia AlFursan Lounge in Jeddah.
Elsewhere in the series#
Turkey also overlaps with Eastern Europe and Greece and Europe. Nearby lists: India and Asia. How the scores work is on our methodology page.
Cite this article
Patrick Karsh. “The 10 worst airport lounges in the Middle East and Turkey: 2026.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-10-02. Updated 2026-10-14. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/worst-airport-lounges-middle-east-2026
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Quick answers
What is the best lounge on this list?
Plaza Premium Lounge – Marmara at SAW, in International Terminal, rated 2.5/5 overall. Next come Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures) and Comfort Lounge.
Which lounge networks get you into these lounges?
Priority Pass opens 7 of the 7; Plaza Premium opens 3 of the 7; SkyTeam Elite Plus Lounge Access opens 1 of the 7. Each lounge's page lists every program and card that admits you.
Written and checked to our editorial standards. Scores follow our methodology. Join the discussion below.
