Days after twin drone incidents, blasts were heard and smoke was seen rising in central Dubai on Friday. Authorities later confirmed that an aerial attack interception had been successfully carried out and that debris caused minor damage to the facade of a building in central Dubai. However, officials did not clarify whether the intercepted object was a missile or a drone.
The United Arab Emirates on Thursday intercepted 10 ballistic missiles and 26 drones amid Iran's sustained attacks on US facilities in the region. Drone debris also fell in Dubai's Al Badaa area and struck the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Meanwhile, air raid sirens blared early on Friday morning in Bahrain, hours after a massive fire erupted near the airport following Iranian drone strikes on fuel tanks. As sirens sounded across Bahrain, the Interior Ministry urged people to remain calm and take shelter. This comes as tensions continue to simmer in the region, with the US-Iran war entering its second week.
Qatar on Friday condemned Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed 15 people, including five children. Nine people were killed in a strike on a village in southern Lebanon, while six others died in two separate Israeli strikes on other towns on Thursday.
"The State of Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, considering them a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701," Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The UAE had intercepted 10 ballistic missiles and 26 drones on Thursday amid Iran's sustained attacks on US facilities in the region. Drone debris fell in Dubai's Al Badaa area, while fragments also struck the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Fearing further Iranian attacks, several companies have evacuated their offices in Dubai's financial district after Tehran threatened to target economic establishments linked to the US and Israel. On Wednesday, US banking giant Citibank, consultancies Deloitte and PwC, along with other firms, either closed their offices or asked employees to leave, mainly in Dubai's financial district, AFP reported.
Bloomberg has also allowed its staff in Dubai and across the Gulf to temporarily relocate and work remotely, Reuters reported, citing a company spokesperson. Among major European banks, HSBC and Standard Chartered are the most exposed to the Middle East conflict, which could pressure earnings, J.P. Morgan warned on Thursday.
The conflict has also raised concerns over the safety of artworks on loan from France to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the museum's only foreign branch.
The Iran-US war has led to the temporary displacement of around 3.2 million Iranians, according to the UNHCR. "Most of them are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other major urban areas towards the north of the country and rural regions to seek safety," the agency said, adding that the numbers are likely to rise as the conflict intensifies.
China's special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, is currently in Bahrain where he met the country's foreign minister, Beijing said on Friday.
Expatriate residents of the UAE who are currently outside the country and whose residency visas have expired will be allowed to return without obtaining a new entry permit, authorities have announced. Eligible residents will be permitted to re-enter the country during a one-month window from February 28 to March 31.
Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates fell in early trade on Friday as Iran's continued attacks across the Middle East heightened fears of a prolonged regional conflict and unsettled investor sentiment.
Investor caution intensified as the war approached the two-week mark, with heavy exchanges of drone and missile strikes across the region. US President Donald Trump on Thursday sharply criticised Iran's leadership, while Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first comments, said Tehran would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and urged neighbouring countries to shut US bases on their territory or risk being targeted.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi also emphasised the role of BRICS, currently led by India, in supporting security and stability in the region during a phone call with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Government employees in Dubai will receive a four-day holiday to mark Eid al-Fitr, according to an official circular issued by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, as reported by Gulf News. The holiday will begin on Thursday, March 19, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
An Emirates flight from Dubai to Chennai arrived at Chennai International Airport early on Friday after a brief delay of about an hour. Passengers of flight EK 0542 said the delay was due to additional air clearance procedures amid heightened tensions in the West Asian region.
