Dubai, Abu Dhabi news highlights: Sirens blare in Doha as Qatar intercepts missiles from Iran

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Qatar Airways said it will run limited flights to and from Doha, according to a statement posted by the airline on X.

"Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe full reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities. A further update will be provided on 09 March.

Following temporary authorisation from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirming a limited operating corridor, Qatar Airways intends to operate the following flights arriving to Hamad International Airport on 09 March: Amsterdam (AMS), Berlin (BER), Frankfurt (FRA), London (LHR), Zurich (ZRH), Muscat (MCT).

These flights are only for passengers whose final destination is Doha. To book, please visit the Qatar Airways website or App or a travel agent.

These flights do not constitute a confirmation of resumption of scheduled commercial operations.

Passengers are kindly asked not to arrive at their departure airport unless they hold a valid confirmed ticket for travel.

Qatar Airways also operated repatriation flights today, 08 March, which departed Hamad International Airport to the following airports: Amsterdam (AMS), Berlin (BER), Frankfurt (FRA), London (LHR), Zurich (ZRH).

Priority on these flights was given to stranded passengers with families, elderly passengers, and those with urgent medical and compassionate travel needs. Each flight was pre-allocated by Qatar Airways directly to such affected passengers," it said in the statement.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Fuel distribution in the Iranian capital has been "temporarily interrupted" after US and Israeli strikes on oil depots in and near the city, an official said on Sunday.

"Due to damage to the fuel supply network, distribution has been temporarily interrupted," said Tehran's governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, as quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

"The problem is being resolved," he added.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Three Indonesian crew members are missing after the United Arab Emirates-flagged tugboat Musaffah 2 sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, Jakarta's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"One Indonesian survivor is currently receiving burn treatment at a hospital in the city of Khasab, Oman. The other three Indonesians are still being searched for by the local authorities," the ministry said Saturday.

Before it sank, the Musaffah 2 experienced an explosion that caused it to catch fire, the statement said, adding that an investigation is ongoing by local authorities.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Oman Air said it will cancel some flights until March 15 due to the ongoing airspace closures in the region.

The airline said all flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS) will remain cancelled from March 9 to March 15.

Additional flights have been arranged to accommodate travellers. The airline also asked passengers to check its website for the latest updates.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: As of March 7, official figures released by authorities in the United Arab Emirates recorded four deaths and 112 injuries following the Iranian barrage, Khaleej Times reported.

The Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates confirmed the death of a Pakistani national. The person was killed after debris fell in Dubai’s Al Barsha area following the interception of an incoming missile on Saturday night.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UAE's ministry of interior has lifted the earlier safety alert and said the situation is “currently safe” for people to return to their normal activities.

The authority also asked residents to remain careful and take necessary precautions while continuing to follow official instructions.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A missile alert was sounded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday morning, Associated Press reported.

This comes after residents in the country received ‘potential missile threat’ alert from the ministry of interior warning on their phones.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Two Kuwaiti border guards were killed early Sunday, authorities said, as the Gulf country was hit by a barrage of missile and drones.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry identified them as Lt. Col. Abdullah Imad Al-Sharrah and Cap. Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Majmoud.

It said they were killed “while performing their national duty.” The statement didn’t elaborate on the circumstances of their death.

Some residents in the United Arab Emirates received alerts from the ministry of interior warning about a "potential missile threat".

Residents were asked to move immediately to the nearest secure building and stay away from windows, doors and open areas. They were also told to wait for further instructions.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The ongoing Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are "dangerous acts of aggression" that threaten the security and stability of the entire region, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said in a statement.

The head of the GCC warned that the strikes reveal Tehran's "escalatory approach" during the current regional conflict.

In a statement posted on the GCC's official website, Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi expressed in the "strongest" terms the council's "condemnation and denunciation of the nefarious Iranian attack" that specifically targeted Gulf territories.

Albudaiwi criticised the targeting of key infrastructure, saying that attacks on civilian sites "constitutes a flagrant and unacceptable violation of all international norms and charters".

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A majority consensus has largely been reached on a successor to Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri said on Sunday, according to Mehr news agency.

He added, however, that "some obstacles" still remain in the process, the report said.

Iranian media reported that the body responsible for appointing the country’s supreme leader had a minor difference of opinion over whether the final decision must be taken in an in-person meeting or issued without following this formality.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Falling missile debris injured three people and damaged a university building in Bahrain on Sunday, the interior ministry said, as Iran continued its air campaign against neighbouring Gulf states.

"As a result of the blatant Iranian aggression, 3 people were injured and material damage was inflicted on a university building in the Muharraq area after missile fragments fell," the ministry said in a statement, referring to an island area northwest of Manama.

“Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to a water desalination plant following a drone attack,” the country's interior ministry said.

Bahrain also said a water desalination plant was damaged in a drone attack by Iran.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Indians in the United Arab Emirates were advised by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi on Sunday not to take photographs or share images of incident locations on digital and social media platforms.

In a statement, the mission said authorities in the United Arab Emirates have warned that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in unauthorised filming at incident sites, restricted areas, or inside airport.

To ensure safety and avoid legal consequences, all Indian nationals have been advised to observe the following:

- When you hear a warning alert, proceed immediately to a safe place and remain there until the warning alert has been lifted for your area. Do not attempt to go outside to take photograph/record videos.

- Strictly avoid sharing or publishing images of incident sites, including damage from projectiles or shrapnel, via digital/social media platforms.

- In the event of shrapnel falling or discovering suspicious objects in your vicinity, report it immediately to the competent authorities to enable them to handle the situation safely and swiftly. Please stay away from the location and do not approach or touch any parts.

-Do not take photograph/record videos inside the airport during arrival/departure.

“In view of the current regional situation, the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi urges all Indian nationals residing in or visiting the United Arab Emirates to strictly adhere to the local laws and safety guidelines issued by the UAE authorities,” it said.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Bahrain’s interior ministry said sirens have been sounded across the country.

“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” it said in a brief statement.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Saudi Arabia has told Tehran that although it supports a diplomatic solution to Iran's conflict with the United States, further attacks on the kingdom and its energy sector could force Riyadh to respond in the same manner, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The message was delivered before a speech on Saturday in which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring Gulf states for Tehran’s actions. The remarks appeared to be an effort to calm regional anger after Iranian strikes hit civilian targets.

Two days earlier, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke to Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and clearly set out Riyadh’s position, the sources said.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Kuwait's military said air defence systems were intercepting missile and drone attacks on Sunday, as Iran continues its strikes across the region.

"Kuwaiti air defences are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks," the military said in a post on X, adding that explosion sounds were the result of interceptions by air defence systems.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems were intercepting missiles and drones launched from Iran on Sunday.

"UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the defence ministry said in a post on X, adding sounds of explosions were a result of the systems "intercepting missiles and drones".

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UAE's NCEMA (National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority) said its air defence system is responding to a missile threat and advised residents to stay in a safe place. People have also been asked to follow official channels for alerts and updates.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Debris from an intercepted aerial projectile struck the facade of the 23 Marina Tower in Dubai on Saturday, sending smoke rising from the area and briefly alarming residents in the high-rise district.

The 90-storey residential skyscraper is among the tallest buildings in Dubai’s Marina skyline.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Sunday issued a travel advisory for passengers, asking them to check the latest flight updates directly from their airlines before heading to the airport.

Due to the ongoing situation in the region, the airport asked travellers to depend on official communication channels of both the airlines and the airport for correct information and assistance, The Khaleej Times reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: China's top diplomat condemned on Sunday the war in the Middle East and urged the United States to iron out its differences with Beijing.

Wang Yi told a press conference in the Chinese capital that the war, which was sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, "should never have happened".

"A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle," he told reporters.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it had thwarted another attempted attack after bringing down three more drones near Riyadh.

This came just hours after the ministry reported blocking a drone strike targeting Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter and said its forces had shot down at least 15 other drones.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Air India and Air India Express are continuing scheduled flights to selected West Asian destinations while also running additional non scheduled services to help travellers stranded due to airspace restrictions in parts of the region.

According to the release, Air India is operating scheduled flights between Delhi and Mumbai and Jeddah. Air India Express is continuing services linking Muscat and Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Kannur. It is also operating flights between Jeddah and Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.

Air India Express said all its scheduled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh will remain cancelled until March 13 because of the ongoing restrictions. Air India’s scheduled flights to and from Dammam, Doha and Riyadh will stay suspended until March 10.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces shot down three drones in Riyadh.

Earlier on Sunday, the ministry said it intercepted and destroyed a drone heading towards Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, where several foreign missions, including the United States Embassy, are located.

Another drone was brought down in the kingdom’s vast Empty Quarter desert as it was flying towards the Shaybah oil field.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 said flights bound for the Saudi capital Riyadh have either been diverted or turned back to their departure airports over the past few hours.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said it was responding to drone attacks targeting Riyadh.