Portraits of United Arab Emirates leaders displayed on the Etisalat Tower in Dubai, March 10, 2026. PHILÉMON BARBIER/HORS FORMAT FOR LE MONDE
The wreckage of an Iranian drone spotted on Thursday, March 12, on a street near Dubai's financial district has quickly vanished. The circulation of a video showing a blackened, blown-out floor at the top of a residential and hotel tower in Creek Harbour – a luxury district partly owned by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and an investment fund – prompted only a minimal response. Authorities called the multiple Iranian drone strikes that day "minor incidents," specifying only that they took place "in the Al Bada district, near Satwa and Sheikh-Zayed Road" in the UAE's economic capital, without detailing the nature of the attacks or reporting any injuries. Footage filmed by a resident showed people taking shelter in an underground parking lot.
The UAE has been under constant aerial attack since February 28. At least five people have been killed and nearly 100 have been wounded, prompting the UAE to step up its crackdown on the spread of footage showing the damage. Tourists and migrant workers have been caught up in this: 21 people were charged with "cybercrime" after sharing videos of missiles, drones intercepted by air defenses, debris or explosions. Among them was a British national who had filmed missiles overhead and who was immediately ordered to delete his video.
