Dubai airport, iconic Burj Al Arab hotel damaged in Iranian missile strikes

Dubai’s media office said early Sunday that four people were injured at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

In a post on X, it said a concourse at DXB suffered minor damage in an incident that was “quickly contained”, without providing further details.

The media office later reported that a drone had been intercepted and that falling debris sparked a small fire on the outer facade of the Burj Al Arab.

The sail-shaped hotel, opened in 1999 on an artificial island off Jumeirah Beach, is one of Dubai’s most recognisable symbols, reflecting the emirate’s long-running push to project luxury on a global scale.

Separately, a fire broke out on Saturday near another hotel on the man-made Palm Jumeirah Island.

Aviation sources told Reuters that one of the airport’s terminals was damaged during the overnight Iranian attack.

In Abu Dhabi, the operator of the UAE capital’s airport said in a post on X that an incident at Zayed International Airport led to one death involving an Asian national and left seven others injured, though the post was later deleted.

Dubai’s media office also said one of the berths at Jebel Ali Port caught fire after debris fell following an aerial interception.

Iran fired missiles at Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha, all major east–west aviation gateways.

Airlines suspended flights across the Middle East on Saturday, including services to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while flight-tracking maps showed large parts of the region’s airspace virtually empty.

Reuters