Dubai, UAE News Live: Explosions rock downtown Dubai as Iran steps up attacks in Gulf

Bahrain said four people have been arrested on charges of spying for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior (Bahrain). The suspects — three men and one woman — are Bahraini nationals, while a fifth suspect has been identified but is currently outside the country. The arrested individuals have been referred to the Public Prosecution as investigations continue

Lufthansa said on Thursday it would extend the suspension of flights to and from Dubai until March 28. Previously the German airline had suspended flights until March 15 due to the security situation in the Middle East. The group said both airports in Dubai were significantly reducing the number of flights due to capacity reasons.

Air Arabia has resumed operating a limited number of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, subject to operational and regulatory approvals.

Amid Iran's ongoing offensive in the Gulf, the UN Security Council voted to approve a resolution demanding a halt to Iran’s “egregious attacks”. “The international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian attacks against sovereign countries that are threatening the stability of the peoples, especially in a region of strategic importance to global economy, energy, security and security of global trade,” said Bahrain’s U.N. ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei.

President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed took a stroll at the iconic Dubai Mall, sipping coffee and shaking hands with bystanders, to reassure a public unnerved by unprecedented blasts that have shaken the city since the start of the Iran war. Social media was awash Monday night with videos of the president walking alongside Defense Minister Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who’s also Dubai’s crown prince, chatting and sitting at a coffee shop in the vast emporium. Sheikh Mohamed shook hands with children and briefly chatted with a passer-by.

Authorities in Dubai are “responding to a minor drone incident in the Al Bada’a area”, its media office said on X, adding that “no injuries have been reported.”

This comes after reports of loud explosions in the city that has frequently been hit by drones since the start of the war.

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it had intercepted a wave of seven drones heading towards a strategic oil field, as Iran renewed fire on its Gulf neighbours and their energy infrastructure.

"Two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed," the defence ministry said in a post on X.

A high-rise building in Dubai was seen with a large hole in its facade on Thursday morning after authorities reported that a drone had fallen onto the structure. Officials have not yet confirmed where the drone originated from. On Wednesday night, the Dubai Government Media Office said emergency teams were responding to the incident near Dubai Creek Harbour. Video verified by the BBC showed flames inside the building at the apparent impact site. In an update issued early Thursday, the media office said the fire had been brought under control and no injuries were reported.

Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, including one particularly loud blast, an Agence France-Presse correspondent reported, as Iran continued its strikes across Gulf countries in response to attacks by the United States and Israel. The correspondent reported seeing small plumes of smoke rising above a residential neighbourhood in the city following the blasts.

Dubai airport is operating on severely restricted schedules. Lufthansa has cancelled all scheduled flights to and from Dubai until Sunday, March 15. Air France has suspended Dubai and Riyadh flights until March 12.

Dubai Emirates and flydubai are running limited operations — passengers still being told not to come to the airport unless contacted by their airline.

Consultancy giants like PwC and Deloitte on Wednesday evacuated Dubai’s business districts while HSBC closed its office in Qatar amid threats from Iran that it will target economic and financial infrastructure as the West Asia conflict escalated.

As many as 35 tourists from Odisha who were stranded in Dubai due to flight cancellations amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia have safely returned home, officials said on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), nine of the stranded tourists returned to Bhubaneswar via Kochi in Kerala on March 7. The rest of the tourists returned to the state capital on March 8 via Mumbai on a special Air India Express flight.

Iran fired upon commercial ships on Wednesday and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of bottling up the oil-rich Persian Gulf as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes pounded the Islamic Republic.

Iran's response to the surprise Israeli and US bombardment that started 12 days ago has upended trade routes, choked supplies of fuel and fertiliser coming out of the Gulf and threatened air traffic through one of the world's most-travelled regions. Both sides have dug in, hoping to outlast the other. (AP)

Citigroup and Standard Chartered have begun evacuating their Dubai offices, telling staff ‌to work from home instead, sources said on Wednesday, as banks step up precautions after Iran threatened Gulf banking interests linked to the US and Israel, Reuters reported.

The moves came after a spokesperson for Tehran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said on Wednesday that Iran will target economic and banking interests linked to the US and Israel in the region, after an attack on an Iranian bank.

A drone fell on a building near Dubai's Creek Harbor area, causing a fire in a building on Wednesday. The incident was confirmed by the Dubai Media Office. Evacuation was carried out to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. However, the fire was later brought under control and no injuries were reported, according to Gulf News.