Dubai, UAE, Abu Dhabi News LIVE updates: UAE intercepts 9 ballistic missiles, 109 drones; 3 drones land within country

Authorities in Fujairah have contained a fire that broke out at the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone (FIZ), according to a report by Khaleej Times.

The blaze was triggered by shrapnel from a drone that had been intercepted by air defence systems. Emergency response teams worked continuously to bring the situation under control.

Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported in the incident. Authorities also urged the public to rely on official sources for updates and avoid circulating rumours or unverified information.

Flight operations have resumed on a limited basis at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), according to Dubai Airports.

Authorities advised passengers to travel to the airport only if they hold a confirmed ticket and have received a notification from their airline. Access to airport terminals has been restricted to confirmed travellers to ensure safety and maintain smooth operations.

Passenger advisory:

• Confirm your flight departure time with the airline

• Verify the terminal your flight will depart from

• Check airline websites or mobile apps regularly for the latest updates

The UAE’s air defence systems intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones on Friday, the Ministry of Defence said according to Gulf News.

According to the ministry, a total of 112 drones were detected, of which 109 were successfully intercepted. Three drones fell within the country’s territory. Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the locations where the drones landed.

Emirates Airlines will operate 106 daily return flights to 83 destinations starting March 7 as it continues to run a reduced flight schedule.

The airline said the move follows the partial reopening of regional airspace. The current operations represent nearly 60 per cent of Emirates’ overall route network.

Emirates Airlines expects to return to operating its full flight network within the next few days, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

Air Arabia has resumed operating a limited number of flights to and from the UAE.

The airline said passengers whose flights were previously cancelled can also rebook their journeys, provided they have not already used the modification or refund option.

Emirates Airlines carried approximately 30,000 passengers out of Dubai in a single day on Thursday, according to a report by Reuters.

Fujairah Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi visited the Fujairah Oil Industries Zone (FOIZ) on Friday to review efforts on the ground following the recent fire at the facility.

During the visit, the Crown Prince met with teams managing the situation and observed the ongoing response operations.

Sheikh Mohammed praised the security and safety personnel for their dedication and described their work as heroic, Gulf News reported.

The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in coordination with Sharjah Police, has extended restrictions on truck movement across several major roads in the emirate, effective from today until further notice.

The restrictions will apply to Emirates Road, Al Dhaid Road and Al Madam Road.

Authorities said the measure has been introduced to regulate heavy transport traffic, improve road safety and ensure smoother traffic flow along some of Sharjah’s busiest routes. Officials added that the decision is also aimed at supporting the logistics sector while facilitating easier movement for all road users.

Dubai Parks and Resorts will remain closed on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, as a precautionary safety measure.

According to a report by Khaleej Times, the popular entertainment destination announced the temporary closure following official guidance issued amid the ongoing regional situation.

Qatar on Friday said buildings in Bahrain housing its naval personnel were among the sites targeted in an overnight Iranian strike, though no Qatari forces were harmed. The statement came after Bahrain reported attacks on residential buildings and a hotel.

“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the Iranian attack targeting buildings in various parts of the Kingdom of Bahrain, housing members of the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces participating in the Unified Maritime Operations Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Unified Military Command,” the foreign ministry was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

“The Qatari Emiri Naval Forces personnel present in the targeted buildings are safe and unharmed,” it added.

The World Health Organization said its global health emergencies logistics hub in Dubai was resuming operations on Friday after a pause caused by the war in the Middle East, AFP reported.

Several supermarkets in Dubai have placed temporary limits on the purchase of fruits and vegetables as the situation in the region continues to create uncertainty, according to a report by Khaleej Times.

Notices displayed in some stores inform customers that the quantity allowed per item has been restricted. “Kindly note that the quantity is limited to 2–3 kg per item per customer for fruits and vegetables,” the notice stated. The move aims to manage supplies and ensure availability for more shoppers during the ongoing disruption.

Emirates and Etihad Airways were resuming limited flight schedules to key global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday, though the threat of missile fire piled pressure on airlines as they scramble to accommodate travellers, Reuters reported.

With most airspace in the Middle East still closed over missile and drone concerns since the start of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, authorities have been arranging charter flights and securing seats on limited commercial services to evacuate tens of thousands of people.

A total of 67 Kuwaiti army personnel have been injured amid ongoing missile and drone attacks linked to the regional military escalation, The Gulf News reported.

Etihad Airways is preparing to restart flights to around 70 destinations after almost a week of complete shutdown for one of the Middle East’s largest carriers, Bloomberg reported.

The UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism on Friday confirmed that visitors are continuing to be welcomed at tourist destinations across the country.

In a statement, the ministry said: “Tourism facilities, hotels, and cultural and entertainment attractions are operating in accordance with approved regulations and the highest safety and quality standards.”

In the past 84 hours, Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) have handled over 1,140 flights to help travellers return home, Gulf News reported.

London police have arrested four men on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement on Friday that the suspects—one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranian citizens—were taken into custody on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

The men, aged 22, 40, 52, and 55, were arrested at addresses in and around north London shortly after 1 am, Gulf news reported.

“Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building and steer away from windows, doors and open areas,” the alert read.

UAE Attorney-General, according to Gulf News, has warned against photographing or publishing images of incident sites, including damage from projectiles or shrapnel, via digital platforms.

He stresses that sharing these visuals or disseminating false information can cause unnecessary public alarm, presenting an incorrect picture of the situation in the country.

Dubai residents on Friday, 6 March, received alerts on mobile phones over potential missile threats, Reuters reported.

Oman Air cancelled multiple flights due to regional airspace closures amid ongoing Middle East conflict.

In a post on X, the airline said, “Due to ongoing regional airspace closures, the following flights have been cancelled:

Friday, 6 March, Saturday, 7 March and Sunday, 8 March 2026: All flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS).”

According to a news report by Gulf News, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, said that the UAE did not back the current hostilities. Instead, they adopted a firm stance against the violence, leveraging their diplomatic influence in an attempt to avert the outbreak of war.

UAE remains dedicated to regional peace and stability but stands fully equipped to safeguard its sovereignty and every individual within its borders, said Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President.

Gargash was quoted as saying by Gulf News that the UAE has never acted as an aggressor. He noted that the nation has consistently displayed restraint, prioritising diplomatic channels to shield the region from the fallout of armed conflict.

SpiceJet said it is operating 14 special flights from the UAE on March 6 to bring stranded Indians home

According to a Bloomberg report, the United Arab Emirates is establishing safe air corridors to allow for as many as 48 flights an hour. Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, is operating a scaled back flight schedule following the partial reopening of airspace that’s safe for commercial flights.

The financial and logistical troubles the Iran war is causing for the global aviation industry are compounding by the day, with the number of canceled flights to Middle East hubs surpassing 27,000 since fighting began even as carriers look to resume some operations.

Thousands of passengers have been stranded in the Gulf region, forcing many to take circuitous, expensive routes to reach functioning airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Of the 51,600 scheduled flights to or from the Middle East since Feb. 28, more than half have been canceled, according to analytics firm Cirium Ltd.

Flight services between Kolkata and Dubai resumed partially on Thursday, after a four-day suspension due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, officials told PTI

The US and its Gulf allies on Thursday sought help from Ukraine, which has expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

When asked about Zelensky’s comments, Trump told Reuters on Thursday, “Certainly, I’ll take, you know, any assistance from any country.”

Bader Mousa Al-Saif, a Kuwait-based analyst with Chatham House, told AP that the US appeared to have underestimated the risk to its Gulf Arab allies, believing American troops and Israel would be the primary targets of Iranian retaliation.

“I don’t think they saw that there would be as much exposure to the Gulf,” he said, saying the lack of a plan to protect the Gulf countries “speaks to US short-sightedness.”

Six people were injured in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Abu Dhabi on Thursday by debris from an intercepted drone, its media office said.

The debris took place at two locations in the ICAD 2 area following the successful interception of a drone by air defences, the Abu Dhabi media office said.

Etihad said it is resuming a limited commercial flight schedule from 6 March, operating between Abu Dhabi and a number of key destinations.

“Guests with previous bookings will be accommodated as soon as possible on these flights,” the airline said in a tweet.

Official reactions by the Gulf Arab countries have been muted, but public figures with close ties to their governments have been openly critical of the US, suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dragged President Donald Trump into a needless war.

“This is Netanyahu’s war,” Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief, told CNN on Wednesday. “He somehow convinced the president (Trump) to support his views.”

According to the Associated Press report, US allies in the Persian Gulf have complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their countries in retaliation for strikes launched by the US and Israel.

The report did not mention the names of the two Gulf countries it was referring to, but said governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain did not respond to requests for comment.

Rahul Ghosh, an Indian passenger who was stuck in Dubai due to a flight cancellation amid war, said, “There is no struggle. I did not feel like Dubai was unsafe.”

“It is a very safe country. I did not face any problem. The government helped us a lot. They provided hotels to the tourists,” another passenger said.

Indian passengers arriving at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Friday from Dubai, UAE, described the West Asian country as safe amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

Passengers told ANI that the UAE government provided help and support amid a tense situation caused by flight cancellations.

A Reuters report said the Emirates and Etihad Airways have resumed limited flight schedules to key global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday, though the ongoing threat of missile fire piled pressure on airlines as they scramble to accommodate travellers.

As of Thursday, traffic at Dubai airport, normally the world’s busiest, had almost doubled from Wednesday, but remained only about 25% of normal levels, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said.

Malaysia’s state energy firm Petronas said it has started temporarily relocating personnel from its Abu Dhabi and Dubai operations as part of its business continuity protocols in response to ongoing conflict.

“All operations in the UAE continue to be managed through alternate arrangements. Operations outside of the UAE across the region continue as usual,” it said in a statement

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said that an Air France flight chartered by the French government to bring French nationals back from the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back on Thursday due to missile fire in the area.

“This situation reflects the instability in the region and the complexity of repatriation operations,” Tabarot added.

No, the Dubai airspace is closed for now as Iran’s attack enters Day 7, reported AP.

According to a Bloomberg report, Azerbaijan became the latest target of Iran’s attack on Thursday after two drones struck its territory.

Azerbaijan has threatened to retaliate; however, Iran denied any connection to the incident, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

One Iranian ballistic missile and six drones hit the country’s territory on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said.

It also said that it repelled six missiles and 131 drones on Thursday alone.

The UAE National Emergency Crisis has requested that citizens “immediately proceed to a safe place” when they hear a warning alert. They also urged them not to step out for filming or recording the attack