Airport flooded
City Centre mall chain too showed similar scenes, rendering escalators unusable, reported local media.
The downpour was not isolated to the UAE; neighbouring countries Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia also experienced rainfall, but the UAE bore the brunt of the storm.
The deluge began late Monday, with Dubai International Airport recording 20 millimetres (0.79 inches) of rain. By Tuesday’s end, the city had received over 142 millimetres (5.59 inches), surpassing the annual average of 94.7 millimetres (3.73 inches).
The airport faced significant disruptions, with standing water on taxiways and halted arrivals. Passengers reported chaos, with limited transportation and some resorting to sleeping in the metro station or airport. One couple recounted their ordeal of navigating floodwaters to get home, with assistance from a bystander.
Dubai International Airport announced a slow recovery process, while Emirates airline suspended check-ins to manage the backlog of transit passengers.
FlyDubai passengers also faced delays.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of the airport, described the situation as unprecedented, with diversions to the secondary Al Maktoum International Airport. EgyptAir suspended flights between Cairo and Dubai due to the conditions.
Schools across the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, largely shut ahead of the storm and government employees were largely working remotely if able. Many workers stayed home as well, though some ventured out, with the unfortunate stalling out their vehicles in deeper-thanexpected water covering spots on some roads. That included parts of the Sheikh Zayed Road, a 12-lane highway through downtown Dubai.
Authorities sent tanker trucks out into the streets and highways to pump away the water. Water poured into some homes, forcing people to bail out their houses.
Despite these efforts, a 70-year-old man in Ras alKhaimah tragically lost his life to the floodwaters.
In Oman, the toll was heavier, with at least 19 fatalities, including 10 schoolchildren, prompting regional condolences.
Rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid, Arabian Peninsula nation, but occurs periodically during the cooler winter months. Many roads and other areas lack drainage given the lack of regular rainfall, causing flooding.