Dubai Airport hit as Abu Dhabi's Zayed sees one dead and flights grounded across region
An overnight series of strikes and counterstrikes across the Middle East left one person dead at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport and four staff injured at dubai airport, forcing flights to and from the Gulf to be cancelled and grounded on Saturday as a precaution.
Violence at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport
Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport recorded one fatality and seven injuries after what was described as an "incident". A post on X by Abu Dhabi Airports said the incident "resulted in one fatality involving an Asian national and 7 injuries" and urged against "circulating rumours"; the company did not give a cause in its post.
Dubai Airport suffers injuries and minor structural damage
The dubai airport incident left four staff with injuries when a concourse sustained "minor damage", the city's media office said. Aviation one of the terminals had been damaged during an overnight Iranian attack, and flights from both airports were grounded on Saturday as a precaution.
Flights cancelled to and from multiple countries
Flights to and from the UAE, Qatar, Israel and Bahrain are among those cancelled as what the coverage described as Trump's war with Iran has sparked tourist safety fears. The wider cancellations came after US missile attacks on Iran and subsequent counter strikes targeting American bases in the region.
Fires at Burj al Arab and another luxury hotel
In Dubai, Civil Defence teams responded to a minor fire on the facade of the city's iconic sail-shaped Burj al Arab hotel following a drone interception; the media office said teams "responded immediately and brought the incident under control. No injuries have been reported. " Another luxury hotel in the city was also damaged by fire earlier on Saturday, believed to have been caused by remnants from a falling missile.
Political reverberations and British government guidance
The coverage included political commentary noting that "Starmer is cautious on Iran because he knows the chaos Trump's strikes could trigger" and that "Trump is going for regime change despite positive talks with Iran. " It also carried a headline-style note: "Iran latest: Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is dead, Trump confirms. "
UK Foreign Office urges Britons to shelter and sign up for alerts
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) has warned Britons in several Middle East countries to "immediately shelter in place" and to avoid travel to Israel and Palestine. The FCDO advised: "Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities, " and said it was "working around the clock" to support British nationals affected. UK citizens are being urged to sign up to Register Your Presence and travel advice emails so the Foreign Office can send them information; thousands of Britons are potentially stuck due to the temporary closure of airspace and airports in countries such as the UAE and Qatar.
It is unclear in the provided context when flights, terminals or affected hotels will reopen and when the next scheduled commercial services will resume.
