This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on March 7, 2026, shows smoke rising from the Dubai International Airport. - / AFP
Dubai's main airport, a key global transport hub, was forced to briefly close on Saturday, March 7, as Iran launched missiles and drones at targets across the Gulf. The barrage came despite Iran's president apologizing to neighboring countries for its attacks, saying they would no longer be targeted unless strikes were launched from their territory. Attacks were reported on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where the national oil company announced a "precautionary" cut to production. The Emirates said it was targeted with 16 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones.
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'Dubai, a city of spectacle and a global hub, is now caught up in geopolitics'
One unidentified object was intercepted near Dubai airport, the world's busiest for international traffic, forcing it to briefly suspend operations. A witness told Agence France-Presse (AFP) of a loud explosion in the area followed by a cloud of smoke, while footage authenticated by AFP recorded the sound of a drone followed by a loud explosion and plumes of smoke close to an airport concourse.
