Air raid sirens sound at Dubai airport after missile threat; passengers moved to shelters

This video grab posted on social media on March 7 shows smoke rising from the Dubai International Airport after an air defence interception in the area during attacks from Iran.

• Dubai airport briefly halted due to missile and drone alerts
• Passengers and staff sheltered; flights delayed and rerouted
• UAE intercepts threats, lifts alert; no escalation intent

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Air raid sirens sounded around Dubai International Airport on Tuesday morning after the United Arab Emirates issued a warning of incoming missiles and drones reportedly launched by Iran, following which passengers and airport staff were moved to bomb shelters.

The alert briefly disrupted operations at the airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, with travellers directed away from terminals as precautionary measures were activated. Airport operations resumed roughly 30 minutes later, once authorities assessed that the immediate threat had passed.

Separately, sirens were also reported at Bahrain International Airport amid the broader regional security scare.

The developments come as tensions continue to flare up in West Asia.

According to officials, regional air defences have intercepted multiple aerial threats over the past week. On Monday, reports citing security officials said forces in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait destroyed eight drones, including two headed toward oil installations in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region.

The attacks follow a drone strike last week targeting the Ras Tanura Refinery, one of the kingdom’s key oil facilities.

Dubai airport had also briefly suspended flight operations on Saturday after a drone crashed near one of the airport’s terminals during an aerial interception tied to ongoing attacks attributed to Iran.

Witness videos circulating online showed a drone descending rapidly toward the airport area before crashing near what appeared to be Concourse A, triggering a loud explosion and sending a plume of smoke into the sky. Airport activity had been halted temporarily following the blast.

Authorities in the UAE say the country has faced repeated aerial threats since the start of the conflict. Officials reported detecting 221 ballistic missiles and more than 1,300 drones during the ongoing hostilities.

Apart from airport zones in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, several prominent civilian locations, including Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab, have also been struck during the attacks.

The UAE said its air defence systems had responded to the missile and drone launches and issued emergency alerts to residents, warning of a “potential missile threat.” The alert was later lifted.

Meanwhile, flight tracking platform Flightradar24, on Tuesday, reported that a number of inbound flights to Dubai were placed in holding patterns and several departures were delayed during the security scare.

However, despite the attacks, the UAE has stressed that it does not intend to escalate the conflict. “The UAE does not seek to be drawn into conflict or escalation,” said Jamal Al Musharakh, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.

He added that the Gulf nation considers the strikes against it to be “very unwarranted” and reiterated that the UAE would not participate in attacks against Iran, even as Tehran continues to target regional states it views as allies of the United States.