The British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned of a "high threat from terrorism" in this Gulf nation.

The alert level, updated on Saturday on the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, was previously placed at 'general'.

The new posting on the website stated that terrorists might be planning attacks in the UAE.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," the website posting stated.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests. You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places," it added.

"We issue travel guidance for every country and it is constantly updated," the Arabian Business website quoted embassy spokesperson Simon Goldsmith as saying Monday.

He added that threat levels tended to go up and down.

"What we are not doing and I underline 'not', is advising people to change their travel plans," he stressed.

The UAE, a federation of seven emirates, is home to a large number of expatriates, a majority of them from the Indian subcontinent.