Published on
The United Arab Emirates came under yet another massive aerial attack overnight on Friday, and public warning alerts and alarms rang through the night, Euronews correspondent in Dubai reported from the ground.
**“**A contact down at Abu Dhabi International Airport said that they are hearing interception explosions around every 20 seconds,” Jane Witherspoon said on Friday morning.
Since the beginning of the Iran war on Saturday, the UAE air defences intercepted1,072 drones, 196 ballistic missiles, and eight cruise missiles.
“The general consensus for a lot of people is that they thought it would have been over by now, and while everything does seem fully under control, there is a growing concern,” Witherspoon reported.
Meanwhile, people in Qatar were awakened by an emergency alert on their phones overnight on Friday, after which the Ministry of Defence announced it had intercepted a drone targeting the Al-Udeid airbase, the biggest US military base in the region.
Local authorities have advised people to avoid gathering in outdoor public spaces.
Travel backlog
Air travel is slowly being restored in the region. Flights are departing from Dubai airport on Friday, despite asignificant backlog and the ongoing threat of an Iranian aerial attack.
More flights are operational in Abu Dhabi on Friday, with Etihad Airways saying it was increasing services to some destinations.
Nearly 20,000 flights across the region are believed to have been cancelled since the weekend, following the US-Israel strikes on Iran.
Passengers have been advised not to travel to the airport unless they have received a confirmed departure time directly from their airline.
Qatar’s airspace remained closed on Friday, but Hamad International Airport said it was working closely with airline partners to reconnect passengers in Doha with their checked luggage as soon as operationally possible.