UAE news live updates: ‘Loud bangs’ in Abu Dhabi after ‘minor incident’ in Dubai; flights land after holding briefly

UAE news live updates: Several loud bangs were heard in Abu Dhabi, a witness told news agency Reuters. The reports surfaced days after reports of explosions near the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

UAE, US-Iran war news live updates: Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport was reportedly hit in air attacks during the early hours of Saturday. The reports surfaced after Israel said it had launched “broad-scale” new strikes on government sites in Tehran.

UAE news live updates: Iran was backed by intel from Russia as it targeted US military assets in the region, news agency AP reported, citing officials familiar with US intelligence. Russia is in among the few countries that maintains friendly relations with Iran, which the US has for long accused of pursuing a nuclear programme it wants to dismantle. Read full story here.

UAE news live updates: Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani said on Saturday that the US “deliberately targeted” civilians and civilians infrastructure. The remarks come days after joint US-Israel strikes in Tehran.

“Iranian cities are being attacked indiscriminately. Densely populated residential area and critical civilian infrastructure are deliberately targeted… They are dropping 2,000 pound bomb in densely populated civilian areas,” Iravani said.

UAE news live updates: A missile was intercepted over the Dubai airport, a witness told news agency AFP. However, authorities in Dubai earlier clarified that no incident was reported at the Dubai airport, while acknowledging a “minor incident” after debris for a missile intercepted by the forces fell down.

UAE news live updates: India’s domestic airline IndiGo will operate flights to to the Dubai Airport, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Airport, Akrotiri Airport and Fujairah International Airport today amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

UAE news live updates: Gold is reportedly being sold at a big discount in Dubai as the metal is facing problems being moved out of the key trading hub due to the grounding of flights amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. Traders are offering discounts of as much as $30 an ounce to the global benchmark in London, according to a Bloomberg report.

This is because buyers are not willing to pay high shipping and insurance costs with no guarantee of prompt delivery and are stepping back from new orders.

UAE news live updates: The Dubai Media Office has rubbished reports circulating on social media that there was any incident reported at the Dubai International Airport. It however clarified that a minor incident was dealt with after the fall of a shrapnel fragment caused by a successful interception operation.

UAE news live updates: Blasts were reportedly heard in Dubai and Manama, Bahrain’s capital on Saturday. AFP journalists heard explosions in both cities, one week after Iran first launched strikes across the Middle East. “Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” Bahrain’s interior ministry posted on X.

UAE news live updates: After hovering over the Dubai airport for a bit, planes have started moving closer towards it, FlightRadar24.com reported. “Additional aircraft have now moved to a closer hold to the airport, though arrivals have not yet resumed,” the tracker said in a post.

UAE news live updates: A minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception of a missile took place in Dubai, the city’s media office confirmed on Saturday. “No injuries have been reported. Authorities have also denied reports circulating on social media regarding any incidents at Dubai International Airport,” the media office statement read.

UAE news live updates: The situation in Dubai is controlled despite residents getting missile alerts on their phones, Indians reportedly said upon their safe return from the Middle East.

“The situation is very normal there. Sirens ring and alarms come but still, it’s quite a normal environment. Advisory is to stay inside unless it’s an emergency,” a passenger was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

UAE news live updates: Several planes hovered over the Dubai airport or diverted paths, FlightRadar24 data showed on Saturday morning. Data also showed multiple flights getting delayed by at least 30 minutes.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: Alarm sirens were sounded in Bahrain this morning amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “Citizens and residents are requested to remain calm, head to the nearest safe place, and follow updates through official channels,” the government’s interior ministry said in a tweet.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: Saudi Arabia’s defence minister Khalid Bin Salman met Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and the two discussed the ongoing Iran-US conflict. “We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them within the framework of our Joint Strategic Defense Agreement. We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation,” Salman said in a tweet.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: The ongoing conflict in West Asia is expected to escalate as Israel has announced new “broad-scale” strikes on Tehran. According to AFP, Iran’s state broadcaster reported an explosion in the western part of the capital but further details were not immediately available.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: A passenger who recently arrived in Delhi from Dubai amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East shared that she used to receive alerts on her phone while in the Emirati city.

“…The missiles are being intercepted and we used to receive emergency alerts…We were advised to stay safe and stay indoors,” she said.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: Saudi Arabia reportedly said it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the Prince Sultan Air Base, which houses US military personnel. The air base is located southeast of the capital Riyadh and Saudi said that the missile was “intercepted and destroyed”, reported AFP.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: Saudi Arabia reportedly thwarted a drone attack on an oil field near its border with the UAE. “Attempted attack on the Shaybah field; six drones intercepted and destroyed,” AFP quoted the Saudi Press Agency as saying on Saturday.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: The Indian embassy in Qatar has activated an additional set of helpline numbers to assist nationals stranded in the country. The Embassy shared the numbers in a post on X:

i. 974 55647502

ii. 974 55362508

iii. 974 55384683

The advisory also mentioned an e-mail address – cons.doha@mea.gov.in, saying it would remain available for all queries and assistance requests from the Indian community in Qatar.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: A Lufthansa airlines flight headed to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia was reportedly diverted to Cairo over safety concerns amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. “(It) reflects the instability in the region and the complexity of repatriation operations,” French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Qatar, UAE news live updates: The Indian embassy in Qatar has released an advisory for tourists with the Hayya A1 Visa, asking them to fill out a form. “Please note that this is only for the purpose of ascertaining the exact number and details of stranded Indian Nationals who are not residents of Qatar,” the advisory read.