Dubai airport hit, fire at Palm Jumeirah: Casualties reported as US-Iran conflict spreads in region

Major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were shut and more than 18,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines were cancelled.

Updated on: Mar 1, 2026, 07:32:41 IST

Written by Sana Fazili

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The attack on Iran by the US and Israel on Saturday quickly snowballed into a regional conflict with major UAE cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi coming under attack as Tehran fired back and targeted US establishments in the region. Track Dubai updates

Firemen and rescue workers inspect the site of an explosion at the Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP)

The escalation prompted closure of airspace and subsequent disruption of flights in the Middle East, leading to hundreds of thousands of travelers being either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace, the Associated Press reported. Follow updates on Iran-US conflict

Major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were shut and more than 18,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines were cancelled.

What is happening in Dubai?

Four people were injured after a fire at a hotel in Palm Jumeirah, the man-made island known for its high-end hotels, resorts and attractions. The hotel was hit by parts of a missile that was either intercepted or got knocked off its trajectory, Bloomberg reported.

Dubai’s main airport, the world’s busiest aviation hub, was partially damaged by a suspected aerial strike on one of its terminal buildings. The airport operator “sustained minor damage” and said it was quickly contained.

Also read: Khamenei ‘dead’, Tehran cheers, Gulf on high alert: Top 10 developments from US‑Iran crisis

The UAE partially closed its airspace and suspended flights in Dubai as it intercepted Iranian rockets.
The Dubai authorities have confirmed a fire at one of the berths at Jebel Ali Port caused by the debris from an aerial interception.

Flightradar24 showed the airspace over Dubai pretty much empty as the US-Iran conflict has disrupted flight operations in the region.

Screenshot of flight tracking map, FlightRadar24, shows empty UAE airspace at 7am (IST)

Following the missiles flying over UAE, its ministry of defence said its air defence systems dealt with the missiles. “All necessary measures are being taken to firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability,” Bloomberg quoted it as saying. The UAE said it reserved the right to respond to the Iranian attacks, slamming them as a "dangerous escalation". Several missiles were intercepted, it said.
The United Arab Emirates said 137 missiles and 209 drones were fired at its territory by Iran, most of them intercepted by defence systems.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sana Fazili
Sana started her career in 2018 with News18 and later moved to BoomLive. In the meantime, she thought it was a good idea to share what she learnt, hence took up part-time teaching of journalism course at Jamia Millia Islamia, which she says, she thoroughly enjoyed-not sure if the feeling was mutual. For a year, she also tried her hands at communication roles, only to realise she was more comfortable with news. So, joined HT in September 2025. Not much of a talker, always up for chai and sarcasm. And pun always intended. Her tag line is 'I will figure out, but I need to panic first'Read More

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