Dubai-Abu Dhabi news highlights: Amazon says its UAE data centre hit; Emirates cancels all Dubai flights

UAE live news: Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, has told Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi that Tehran would be open to any serious efforts at de-escalation, a statement by Oman's foreign ministry said.

Oman was acting as a mediator in talks between US and Iran.

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) government entity, has said it will pay for the extended stays of stranded tourists in the capital city’s hotels, CNN reported.

A letter from DCT Abu Dhabi shows a request to hotels to extend the stay of guests who have “reached their check out date but are unable to travel for reasons beyond their control.”

“You are kindly requested to extend their stay until they are able to depart. The cost of the extended stay will be covered by DCT Abu Dhabi,” it reads.

The Al Salam naval base in Abu Dhabi was struck by Iranian drones on Sunday, a day after the country's Supreme Leader, Al Khamenei, died in US-Israeli strikes. UAE's defense ministry said that no casualty was reported. “Specialized teams responded today to an incident resulting from an attack by two Iranian drones on a warehouse at Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi. The attack caused a fire in two containers of general materials, but there were no casualties,” the ministry said in a statement.

Video purportedly of the incident showed smoke rising. More details here

An Iranian drone attack on an Abu Dhabi naval base hosting French forces caused a fire but no casualties, the UAE's defence ministry said Sunday, as Iran struck Gulf countries for a second day.

"Specialised teams responded today to an incident resulting from an attack by two Iranian drones on a warehouse at Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi. The attack caused a fire in two containers of general materials, but there were no casualties," the defence ministry said, as per news agency AFP.

The base, also known as Camp de la Paix, is Emirati, but hosts French forces at the UAE's invitation.

The French military had so far declined to comment on the reports of the strike on Sunday.

As missiles and drones flew over the United Arab Emirates, traders and Wall Street executives who’ve flocked to the Gulf in recent years found themselves confronting a threat few expected to materialise in a country that had pitched itself as the region’s safest hub.

Several hedge funds began reviewing business-continuity arrangements almost immediately, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported.

Global banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. instructed employees to work from home, while other firms urged staff to shelter in place and avoid sensitive areas around foreign embassies and military installations.

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Physical gold flows to and from Dubai's bullion trading hub will be severely curbed in coming days as airlines cancel flights due to US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and Tehran's retaliation, three metals industry sources said to news agency Reuters.

"It looks like most if not all airlines have cancelled their flights, so not going to be any gold moving for a couple of days," one of the sources said. The impact on the global supply will depend on the length of disruption, the sources said.

Spot gold prices closed on Friday up 1.7% at $5,277 per troy ounce, their highest since January 30, with many analysts expecting safe-haven inflows into bullion once the market opens on Monday. Gold's record high was $5,594.82 on January 29.

The market on Monday is likely to be dominated by financial flows on markets in Shanghai, London and New York, another source said.

"The major locations — China, India, New York, London and Zurich — are still okay," a trader said.

The Middle East conflict could moderate Indian investment in Dubai’s real estate market if geopolitical uncertainty persists, experts say.

Such situations usually lead to caution rather than panic, with buyers likely to postpone transaction closures until greater clarity emerges, they said. More than 1 lakh new residential units are expected to enter the market this year, compared to the typical annual supply of around 60,000 units, effectively double the usual volume.

“In the short term, the aftermath of geopolitical tensions tends to create hesitation rather than panic. Buyers are likely to delay transaction closings. They may also reassess their risk exposure or negotiate more aggressively,” said Sandeep Mangla, Managing Director, Forteasia Realty Pvt Ltd.

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The UAE ministry of human resources has recommended private sector companies implement remote working wherever possible and limit employee presence in open areas, with essential roles requiring onsite presence allowed to continue, Gulf News reported.

This guidance is effective for March 1-3, with local authorities deciding final arrangements.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority announced remote working for employees from March 2-4, while continuing to provide client services. Businesses and clients are advised to enable remote arrangements and remain indoors where possible.

Authorities stressed that these measures are precautionary and aim to ensure public safety. Residents, tourists, and businesses are urged to follow official guidance and adopt recommended safety measures, ANI reported citing local authorities.

Authorities across the UAE have announced precautionary measures, including temporary closures of major attractions, remote working guidance, and operational adjustments in key business districts. Officials urged residents, workers, and tourists to rely only on verified official sources for updates, news agency ANI and Gulf News reported.

• All attractions, restaurants, and activities at Jebel Jais remain closed as a precautionary measure, with operations resuming once conditions are deemed safe.
• Global Village and Dubai Parks and Resorts are closed on March 1 in line with national guidance, and visitors are advised to check official websites for updates on reopening and existing bookings.
• The Ain Dubai observation wheel will not operate today for safety reasons, and tourists holding tickets are urged to consult official sources before visiting.

This comes after an Iranian missile struck Dubai's Palm Jumeirah area on Saturday. The UAE was one of the countries Iran targeted as it launched an attack against US military bases in the region following attacks from the US and Israel.

Dubai news live: Air India on Sunday announced no additional charges for rescheduling and full refunds for flight tickets till March 5 which were booked on or before February 28.

"For bookings made on or before 28 February 2026, with travel originally planned up to 5 March 2026, you can:

✅ Reschedule your flight at no additional charge, or

✅Request a full refund to your original form of payment," Air India said in a post on X.

The airline stated that it was extending “full flexibility” for travel “to/from Middle East”, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation.

At least three people have been killed and 58 others wounded in the United Arab Emirates since Iran began its retaliatory campaign in the Gulf in response to US and Israeli attacks, the country's defence ministry said.

The three people include one each from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, it said.

The UAE detected 165 ballistic missiles, destroying 152, and intercepted two cruise missiles, it added. A total of “541 Iranian drones were detected, 506 of which were intercepted and destroyed”, the statement added.

The Dubai media office said the private sector in the emirate “continues to operate normally, with most commercial activities running without disruption”. It added on X: “We commend the sector’s commitment and resilience in sustaining the emirate’s economic momentum.”

Dubai news live: Fresh explosions were heard across Gulf cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama, AFP correspondents and residents said.

With Iran continuing its retaliatory strikes after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, journalists heard several blasts in Dubai, with Abu Dhabi residents reporting loud bangs, AFP reported.

In Manama, siren sounds were heard followed by explosions, while a journalist in the Qatari capital Doha heard a blast faintly, according to AFP.

Dubai news live: Several Indian tourists as well as industrialists are stranded in Dubai, after Iran's retaliatory strikes cause damage to the airport and led ti airspace closure. Former Madhya Pradesh MLAs Sanjay Shukla and Vishal Patel are among those stranded, ANI news agency reported.

“We're in constant communication with him. Until yesterday, he was staying at the Palm Zumeria, but when the attacks began there, he changed hotels...” Sanjay Shukla's son Sagar said, adding that explosions were occuring near his father's hotel.

Dubai news live: Amid Iran's retaliatory strikes on key US facilities in multiple countries, air raid sirens were also heard in Israel's Tel Aviv, an AFP journalist said.

The journalist allegedly heard a dozen blasts from air defence systems intercepting missiles

Dubai news live: The US embassy in Jordan's Amman urged staff to avoid the embassy compound and asked them to continue to “shleter-in-place” citing risk of attack.

“The US Embassy in Jordan has instructed all Mission personnel to continue to shelter-in-place and avoid the US Embassy Amman compound, as it may be targeted,” the embassy said in a statement Sunday.

Dubai news live: As the confrontation in Middle East escalates, at least 150 tankers including crude and liquefied natural gas vessels dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported citing shipping data.

Dubai news live: Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, while highlighting a “moral responsibility” to do so.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm,” the Pope told a crowd in St Peter's Square, AFP reported.

Dubai news live: Air travel in the Middle East is witnessing major disruption, with several major carriers, including Emirates, British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa, suspending flight operations.

Multiple countries have also announced partial or full closure of airspace, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and parts of Saudi Arabia, NYT reported.

Dubai news live: An oil tanker was hit off Oman's Musandam peninsula Sunday, with foru people sustaining injuries in the incident, the country's maritime security centre said.

This is the first time, since the escalation of the conflict this week, that targets in or near Oman were hit following a wave of retaliatory strikes by Tehran on Gulf states after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Dubai news live: After Iran launched an attack on key US facilities in Middle East countries, the United Arab Emirates also came under attack. Key airport hubs were closed down in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

The Dubai airport was damaged, with officials saying four people were injured.