The Middle East region has been plunged into renewed military confrontation after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting the Islamic Republic’s military and naval forces. Despite the tension, tourists in the UAE say daily life remains largely intact and normal activity is resuming in cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
News agency ANI spoke to Indian tourists in the UAE on Monday who said their visit has been pleasant so far and they have not experienced any commotion, adding that they only had to stay at the hotel for a day. One tourist said that the UAE government takes good care of people.
Following the US-Israeli strikes, Iran retaliated on February 28, launching attacks on US bases in Middle Eastern countries and also launching strikes on Israeli sites. Following Tehran’s retaliation, loud explosions were heard in several cities in the Persian Gulf, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama and Riyadh.
On February 28, the first day of the strikes, Dubai’s artificial Palm Jumeirah reported a fire incident, while the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, was reportedly evacuated after explosions were heard near it. According to an ANI report, however, tourists continued to visit the Burj Khalifa on Monday, indicating that the Middle East trade hub is not directly dealing with the conflict between Iran, the US and Israel.
The aviation sector continues to experience disruptions
Although tourists say there was no commotion in the Gulf cities on Monday, the aviation sector remains disrupted, with major airlines around the world canceling or suspending flights to and from the region.
According to a Reuters report, airlines that canceled flights through the Middle East due to tensions in the region included Aegean Airlines, Air Baltic, Air Europa, Air France KLM, Air India, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Delta, El Al Israel Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, FlyDubai, IndiGo, ITA Polska Airlines, Norwegian Air Airlines, Loyft Polish, Japan Air, Loyft Airlines, Luhan Air, Loyft Airlines Pegasus, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air.
Partial resumption of flight
On Monday evening, Emirates Airways announced the resumption of a limited number of flights, adding that it was “prioritizing customers with earlier bookings and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates”. The airline further advised passengers not to go to the airport unless notified. The statement added that all other flights remain suspended until further notice.
Dubai Airport has also confirmed the resumption of some flights. A post on X said: “Dubai Airports confirms that a limited resumption of operations will begin this evening, March 2, with a small number of flights allowed to operate from Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC). Passengers are advised not to proceed to DXB or DWC unless contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time.”
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, at least 15 Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways planes took off during a three-hour window, likely to help clear transit passengers stranded there since the conflict began.
