Dubai news highlights: Explosions near Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi; one missile and 6 drones hit UAE

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5 on Thursday that Italy is planning to send air defence aid to Gulf countries amid intensifying Iranian strikes.

"Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular air defence," she was quoted as saying by The Khaleej Times.

Dubai news LIVE updates: Fresh explosions have been heard in Qatar's Doha and Bahrain's Manama, AFP reported, citing its journalists.

The fresh incident comes amid the intensifying conflict in the Middle East.

More than 18 airlines are bearing the brunt of the ongoing US-Iran war and the resultant airspace restrictions, with over 23,000 flight cancellations globally, Bloomberg reported.

The following airlines have been affected:

• Air India
• IndiGo
• SpiceJet
• Air France
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• China Southern
• Delta Airlines
• Emirates
• Etihad
• Finnair
• Korean Air
• Lufthansa Group
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

A Qatari authority reportedly issued a fine of 1,000,000 Qatari Royals for hiking prices without prior approval from the authority amid the ongoing Iran-US war.

The authority also ordered the store's closure for a month, The Khaleej Times reported.

Oman Air has announced that it is cancelling flights to and from nine destinations on March 6, 7 and 9 due to airspace restrictions.

Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS) are among the destinations whose flights have been cancelled.

Amid intensifying US-Iran tensions, which have also largely spilt over into the Middle East, Dubai's Global Village and Ain Dubai will be closed till March 6, the Khaleej Times reported.

The US government has issued an intake form for Americans in Kuwait to leave the Middle East amid intensifying conflict with Iran.

In a post on X, the US government said it is "ready to help Americans leave the Middle East if you choose to take advantage of the options available."

"Please complete this crisis intake form so the Department of State can better assist you and provide you with timely updates: https://mytravel.state.gov/s/crisis-intake,' it added.

"If you have already completed the crisis intake form, please do not fill it out again. Commercial flights are currently not operating out of Kuwait. There are overland routes to Saudi Arabia where commercial options to depart the region are operating," it further stated.

Flight services between India's Kolkata and Dubai resumed partially on Thursday, following a four-day suspension amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

A flydubai aircraft from Dubai landed at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 2:40am on Thursday with 130 passengers on board, marking the first arrival in the city from the Middle East.

he same aircraft departed for Dubai at 3:59 am with 55 passengers, Kolkata airport officials were cited as saying by news agency PTI.

Dubai news LIVE updates: Four men have been arrested in Bahrain after authorities monitored their online activities that involved filming and publishing video clips related to the effects of the Iranian attacks on the Kingdom.

The published content also reportedly included expressions of sympathy with the Iranian strikes.

Iran has reportedly targeted the headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan. According to IRNA news agency, the Iranian military said, "We targeted the headquarters of Kurdish groups opposed to the revolution in Iraqi Kurdistan with three missiles."

Dubai news LIVE updates: Qatar Airways said that it will operate limited relief flights starting from Thursday for stranded passengers departing from Riyadh and Muscat.

In a post on X, it said that flights are planned from Muscat to Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, London's Heathrow, Madrid and Rome as well as from Riyadh to Frankfurt.

Kuwait's interior ministry denied reports of a large explosion and oil spill off the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, saying that the incident did not take place in its waters, but around 60 km away from the port.

The statement came after the UK maritime security agency claimed that the incident took place off the Kuwaiti Port.

In a post on X, the ministry said, "The Ministry of Interior denies what has been circulated through some media outlets and social media sites regarding an incident occurring off the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port."

"The Ministry affirms that what is being circulated is untrue, and that the incident referred to occurred outside the territorial waters of the State of Kuwait, at a distance of no less than (60) kilometers from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, urging everyone to exercise accuracy and to source information solely from official authorities in the country," it added.

Dubai news LIVE updates: Strong GPS spoofing is continuously affecting flight operations near the UAE, according to Flightradar24. GPS spoofing is when fake GPS signals make aircraft appear in the wrong place or move in an unrealistic way.

Dubai news LIVE updates: The United Arab Emirates has waived the visa overstay fines for tourists and select residents who were unable to leave the country after airspace closures and flight cancellations amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war, The Khaleej Times reported.

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security stated that the exemption was applicable to people who could not travel because flights were suspended or rescheduled due to the "exceptional regional circumstances".

The waiver covers fines imposed from February 28, 2026. It applies to:

• Visitors on tourist visa
• Vistors holding visit visas
• Individuals with exit permits
• Residents who had cancelled their residency permits in preparation for departure

Dubai news LIVE: Asian carriers, including Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Singapore Airlines Ltd, are reportedly among the best-positioned airlines to weather the war in the Middle East as travellers scrambled for flights to escape the conflict.

Asian airlines have emerged as one of the go-to choices for citizens leaving the Middle East, Bloomberg reported.

Passengers in European hubs are handing over huge sums of money to secure a seat to Asia on flights that bypass the Middle East, the report said. It added that a one-way economy ticket flying Singapore Airlines from Heathrow to Singapore on March 5 costs HK$66,767 ($8,540) — a 900% hike on fares later in the month.

Dubai news LIVE updates: A Dubai-Ahmedabad flight landed safely at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport, bringing relief to the stranded Indian passengers who returned home on Thursday.

Airport authorities and airline officials are bringing relief to stranded passengers amid widespread cancellations and delays.

Dubai-Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has led to more than 23,000 flight cancellations due to airspace closures and safety risks in the Middle East region.

Emirates, the world's largest international airline, extended its suspension of flights to Dubai through the end of Saturday, a full week since the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

More than half of the 36,000 scheduled flights to or from the Middle East since February 28 have been cancelled, Bloomberg reported, citing analytics firm Cirium Ltd.

Dubai news LIVE updates: The conflict continues to intensify in the Middle East, as Iran launched missiles at Israel early on Thursday, a day after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lankan waters.

Air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as Israel announced multiple incoming attacks.

Dubai news LIVE updates: Several stranded Indians arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday amid the ongoing flight disruptions and airspace closures in the wake of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Many of the Indians were returning from the UAE's Fujairah and Saudi Arabia's Dammam.

Speaking to news agency ANI, a passenger who returned from Fujairah said, "I went to Dubai for work; the situation is a bit tense. Yesterday, there was an attack on the US Consulate... We were scared... We came from Fujairah because flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi were getting cancelled repeatedly... We are thankful to the airlines and the Indian government; they are helping us come back."

"I am coming from Romania but have a stop at Bahrain. I was stuck there for three days... Whenever there was an explosion, we used to feel the vibration inside the hotels. There is a complete atmosphere of fear there," said another passenger.

Dubai news LIVE updates: SpiceJet is operating seven flights to facilitate the return of stranded Indians back home from the United Arab Emirates amid the intensifying tensions between the US, Israel and Iran.

Of the seven flights, one is from Dubai, and the remaining six are from Fujairah. All of these flights are scheduled to land either in Delhi or in Mumbai.

Dubai news LIVE updates: The Indian Embassy in Doha issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Qatar on Wednesday, urging them to strictly follow the safety instructions issued by the local authorities.

"In view of the prevailing situation and in line with the Public Notice issued by the Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar, all Indian nationals in Qatar are advised to strictly follow the safety guidance issued by the competent Qatari authorities," the Embassy of India in Doha said.

The advisory also asked Indian nationals to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary movement.

"Step out only in cases of absolute necessity. Stay away from windows, balconies and exposed areas. Rely only on official sources for updates," it added.

The embassy also provided contact details for any assistance required or for emergencies. "In view of the current situation, we have added another 24x7 helpline from today. Our helpline numbers are: 974 55647502; 974 55362508. The queries can also be raised with the Embassy on email address: cons.doha@mca.gov.in," it said.

Dubai news LIVE updates: Air India is set to commence its operations to and from Jeddah from Thursday.

The airline said that its schedule is as follows:

•AI2255/2256 - Delhi-Jeddah-Delhi

•AI2251/2252 - Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai

•AI2245/2246 - Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai

Dubai news LIVE updates: Qatar's ministry of defence on Thursday morning said that authorities were evacuating residents from the vicinity of the US embassy in the country.

In a post on X, the ministry said, "In the context of maintaining public safety, the Ministry of Interior notes that the competent authorities are evacuating residents in the vicinity of the US Embassy as a temporary precautionary measure."

"Alternative accommodation has been provided for them, as part of taking the necessary preventive measures. Please follow official channels for reliable information."

Gulf news LIVE: Saudi Arabia's ministry of defence on Thursday morning said that three drones were intercepted and destroyed in the east of the Al-Kharj Governorate.

A tanker witnessed a "large explosion" in the waters off Kuwait, and reported an “oil spill”, the British maritime security agency said on Thursday. Following the blast, the master of the tanker also saw a small aircraft exiting the vicinity.

The incident took place on Wednesday, March 4, around 22:40 UTC (4:10am IST on March 5). The British maritime agency further stated that no fires were reported following the explosion, adding that the tanker's crew are safe and well. It stated that authorities are investigating the incident.