Dubai empties out as Iranian strikes disrupt daily life and keep airspace closed
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Dubai, March 1, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Dubai was largely deserted on Sunday after Iranian strikes rattled the city, with highways mostly empty and the skies clear of the usual stream of arriving and departing aircraft as airspace remained closed, according to a CNN report.
Beaches, malls and hotel venues that would typically be busy during peak winter tourism season were quiet, while Dubai Marina was unusually still, the report said.
For many residents, the city’s sudden slowdown revived memories of the COVID-19 lockdowns, with schools shifting online and families staying indoors. “We feel like it’s Covid days. Quiet, sunny, birds chirping and no sounds of traffic or planes flying,” Paul Devitt, a CNN videographer in Abu Dhabi, was quoted as saying.
Some residents made quick trips to supermarkets to stock up, while grocery delivery apps reported delays as demand increased, the report said. In neighbourhoods usually crowded into the evening, streets were empty.
With UAE airspace closed, some people drove to quieter parts of the country. In Hatta, near the Omani border, one hotel turned a conference room into a makeshift shelter for tourists who had checked out but could not fly home, the report said. Some newly arrived guests said they were moving their families away from parts of Dubai that had come under attack.
Others crossed into Oman by road, the report said. Omani authorities later reported that two drones had targeted a port there on Sunday.
Dubai has no public bomb shelters, the report said. Some residents spent Saturday night in underground parking garages, while parents sought to reassure children by describing the blasts as Ramadan fireworks or cannons traditionally fired at iftar time.
