Travelers report being left stranded in the arid metropolis while the global hub struggles following an exceptionally heavy downpour.
Residents of Dubai are recounting terrifying tales of spending the night in their cars, while travelers are dealing with chaotic scenes at airports as a result of the unusually heavy rains that flooded the desert city.
Tuesday saw the highest amount of rain to fall on the normally arid United Arab Emirates since records started getting kept 75 years ago.
Rainfall on Tuesday was described as “a historic weather event” by the state-run news agency WAM, surpassing “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”
Stories of people spending a long night cooped up in cars and offices surfaced as the sun came out on Wednesday.
After his fifteen-minute commute on flooded roads turned into a twelve-hour ordeal, a Dubai resident in his thirties, who wished to remain anonymous, described the experience as “one of the most horrific situations I had ever experienced.”
Passengers on Emirates were advised to avoid the airport in Dubai, which is among the busiest for international travel and frequently experiences delays on almost all of its flights, “unless absolutely necessary.”
Those present started to become increasingly frustrated. Forming at a connections desk, a sizable group of people waited for information while clapping and whistling in protest.
After a 12-hour wait, a passenger who wished to remain anonymous exclaimed, “They are completely lost, it is complete chaos – no information, nothing,” according to Agence France-Presse.
As the planes touched down, the taxiways were swept by standing water. A couple described the state of affairs as “absolute carnage.”
They granted permission to speak anonymously to the Associated Press so they could express themselves freely in a nation where it is illegal to criticize others’ opinions.
A cab is not available for you. People are camped out in the Metro station. People can be found sleeping in the airport.
According to the BBC, additional travelers were sent to Dubai World Central Airport, commonly referred to as Al Maktoum Airport, where they informed the network that they had been “living duty-free” and that there was not enough water.
An incensed British passenger told PA Media that he had not received any food or water after his flight was rerouted to Dubai World Central. It has simply been a complete catastrophe. It is unacceptable to go seven hours without receiving any updates while we are stuck here.
The main airline of Dubai, Emirates, posted on X on Wednesday night, stating that although some passengers had made it to their destinations, “We are aware that many are still waiting to get on flights.”
Customers should expect delays with departures and arrivals.
