Dubai is like a ‘ghost city’ after Iran’s raids

Beaches, shopping malls and hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) are often full on weekends during peak tourist season.

However, that image was almost unrecognizable in Dubai on March 1. The highway in the city is almost empty of cars, the sky is no longer filled with planes constantly taking off and landing. The Dubai Marina area, which is bustling with yachts and parties at sea, also became unusually quiet.

This made the news agency CNN The US compares Dubai to a “ghost city”.

For many residents, this scene is reminiscent of the Covid-19 blockade six years ago, when one of the world’s busiest transit hubs suddenly fell silent. Schools in the city once again moved online and people stayed at home.

“It feels like the Covid days. It’s sunny, quiet, birds are singing, no more traffic or plane sounds,” Paul Devitt, cameraman of CNNsaid.

Some people rushed to the supermarket to stock up on necessities. Food delivery apps have reported delays due to skyrocketing demand. In neighborhoods that were once crowded until late at night, the roads have now become completely empty.

After UAE airspace closed, some people drove to quieter parts of the country. In Hatta, near the border with Oman, at least one hotel has turned a conference room into a temporary shelter for tourists who check out but cannot return home. Some new arrivals said they were taking their families out of areas hit by raids in Dubai.

Many people go to Oman by road, because this is the only country in the region that has not been affected by Iran’s retaliatory attacks on February 28. However, on March 1, Omani officials announced that two drones had targeted a port in the country.

Dubai, a city that prides itself on its safety and stability, has no public bomb shelters. Many residents spent the night of February 28 in underground parking lots. Parents try to cover their children when explosions occur above their heads. Some people told their children that they were fireworks during the fasting month of Ramadan, a tradition in Muslim countries.

On the morning of February 28, the US and Israeli militaries launched an attack campaign against Iran, targeting defense and intelligence facilities, as well as a series of high-ranking officials and generals. Sources familiar with the matter said the attack was “jointly planned for many months” by the US and Israel.

Iran then quickly announced a response campaign targeting Israeli territory, as well as a series of US bases in many Middle Eastern countries, causing a series of infrastructure damages. Tehran affirms that the target is Washington’s forces, not the territory of neighboring countries.