A drone strike near Dubai International Airport (DXB) left four foreign nationals injured and forced a temporary airspace closure earlier today, authorities said. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
UAE authorities confirmed that two drones fell in the vicinity of the airport, causing minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national. Witnesses described tense scenes inside the terminal, with travellers told to move away from glass windows and head to protected areas.
Dubai Media Office confirmed on X that the airport is now operating normally. A Dubai Airports spokesperson said: 'Dubai Airports confirms that following a brief airspace closure earlier today, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have now resumed and the airport is open and operating. Dubai Airports is working closely with airlines and relevant authorities to ensure the smooth flow of operations.'
The attack comes just days after major airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways warned that flights across the Middle East remained suspended, reduced or subject to sudden changes due to security concerns. British Airways suspended flights to Dubai and operated special rescue services from Muscat, Oman, to London Heathrow to help stranded passengers return to the UK.
The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates, citing significant security risks. Iran has warned it could expand targets to include economic institutions linked to the US and Israel, fuelling fears of further flight disruption and rising air fares ahead of the summer holiday season.
