Dubai, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs ground to a halt on Saturday after Iranian missile strikes rippled across the Gulf, prompting authorities to evacuate the Burj Khalifa and suspend operations at its airports. Explosions were heard across the city as regional airspace closures disrupted global travel routes.
Burj Khalifa was evacuated soon after an explosion rang across the emirate due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Loud blasts were heard across Dubai on Saturday afternoon and evening after Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting US-linked military facilities in the region, hours after joint American and Israeli strikes on Tehran. Residents reported loud blasts, shaking windows and missiles streaking across the night sky.
“It was a big explosion, and it made the windows shake,” one witness told AFP.
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The Dubai Media Office said emergency response teams attended to an “incident” in the Palm Jumeirah area. Four individuals were injured. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether the incident was directly linked to missile debris.
According to reports, the evacuation of the 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, is also being described as a precautionary measure amid fears of falling debris or further strikes.
What is happening in the UAE? Iran said it targeted locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as part of a broader response to US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
In Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that missile debris fell in a residential area, killing a civilian of Asian nationality. The ministry condemned the attack as a “dangerous escalation” that threatens civilian safety and regional stability.
The UAE and US share the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi. Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port regularly hosts US Navy vessels.
A first wave of explosions was reported earlier in the day, followed by additional blasts later in the vening. Smoke was seen in parts of Dubai’s skyline after reported interceptions.
The closures quickly extended to aviation.
Flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) were suspended until further notice as airspace across the region shut down.
Airspace restrictions were also imposed by Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, disrupting one of
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