Dubai Is at War — But Nobody Expected This: How Iran Turned the World's Safest City Into a Battlefield in 10 Days

Dubai Is at War: Missiles Over Palm Jumeirah, Drones at Burj Al Arab, Airports Struck — A Complete Breakdown of the Middle East Crisis That Is Changing Everything

Ten days ago, Dubai was where the world came to escape its problems. Today, it is where the world's biggest problem is happening.

What began on February 28, 2026 as a joint US-Israeli military operation targeting Iran's leadership and military infrastructure has, in ten devastating days, transformed into the most significant armed conflict in the Middle East in a generation. And at the centre of the chaos — by geography, by economics, and by a cruel twist of geopolitical fate — sits Dubai. The city that built itself as the world's crossroads now finds itself at the crossroads of a war it never wanted and never started.

Here is everything you need to know — including what it means for India's 3.5 million citizens living in the UAE.

How This War Started: The Spark That Lit the Gulf

Iran targeted United States assets across the Gulf Arab states in retaliation for a major joint US-Israeli attack on Iran — sparking fears of a wider regional conflagration. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East had been struck "by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles," declaring the operation would "continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated." Asianet Newsable

The trigger was the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial US-Israeli strikes — an event that shattered Iran's leadership structure and unleashed a retaliatory fury that its IRGC commanders had clearly pre-planned for years. Every Gulf state hosting American military assets became a target overnight.

All six Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — have been targeted because of the presence of US assets within and around their borders. Amar Ujala In a single weekend, the safest region in the world became one of the most dangerous.

What Happened in Dubai and Abu Dhabi — The Full Damage Picture

The scale of what Iran has thrown at the UAE is staggering and unprecedented.

As of March 10, 2026, Iran had fired 174 ballistic missiles — 161 intercepted, 13 falling into the sea — along with 689 drones launched, of which 645 were intercepted and 44 caused impact inside the country. All eight cruise missiles sent were also intercepted. Despite the high interception rate, debris and falling projectiles hit populated areas across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, causing damage to civilian infrastructure and starting fires. India TV News

The landmarks hit read like a Dubai tourism brochure in reverse:

Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest for international traffic — was struck by a suspected air strike, with four staff injured and an evacuation triggered. The airport sustained "minor damage" and emergency teams were deployed immediately. Videos posted on social media showed the strike on Terminal 3. India TV News

A Shahed-type drone struck near the Fairmont The Palm Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, causing a large explosion and fire, injuring four people and shattering windows in nearby buildings. Debris from interceptions also caused damage to the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel. A fire broke out at Jebel Ali Port — one of the Middle East's busiest — due to aerial interception debris. Even an Amazon Web Services data centre was struck, causing power shutdowns at multiple availability zones. India TV News

The UAE recalled its ambassador from Iran and shut its embassy in Tehran, with Abu Dhabi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoning the Iranian ambassador and delivering a formal note of protest describing the strikes as "terrorist attacks." New Kerala

The Human Cost: Who Has Died, Who Has Been Hurt

Since Iranian strikes began on February 28, six people have been killed and 122 injured in the UAE alone, according to the UAE Defence Ministry as of March 10, 2026. The civilians killed were foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Additionally, 58 minor injuries were reported among people of various nationalities including Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese and Afghan origin. Critically, no deaths were a direct result of the attacks themselves — all fatalities and injuries resulted from debris and shrapnel from interceptions. India TV News

That last detail carries an important message for the millions of Indians and South Asians living in the UAE: Dubai's air defence systems have performed extraordinarily well. The threat is real. But it is being managed — imperfectly, at enormous cost, but managed.

Some expats have attempted to flee the country out of safety concerns while companies have also attempted to evacuate employees — with costs to flee by private jet reaching as high as $250,000 on March 3, 2026. Several reports emerged of pets being left abandoned in Dubai streets by fleeing expats. India TV News

Flight Chaos: Which Airlines Are Operating, Which Are Not

For Indian readers with family in the UAE or travel plans to the Gulf, this is the most critical section.

Airlines across the UAE and the broader Middle East suspended and rerouted flights after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, prompting several countries to restrict or close their airspace. Emirates extended its suspension until March 7. Etihad extended its suspension to March 6. Both airlines operated limited repatriation priority flights for stranded passengers. Rewa Riyasat

British Airways cancelled flights to Abu Dhabi until later this year and is suspending Doha, Dubai and Amman until later this month, while operating special repatriation flights from Muscat to London Heathrow on March 11 and 12. Turkish Airlines offered free rebooking for passengers travelling to or from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE until March 31. Rewa Riyasat

IndiGo confirmed it is continuing to operate flights to eight destinations in the region — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, plus Muscat, Jeddah and Madinah — while restarting some European services from March 8. However, IndiGo warned that given the dynamic nature of the situation, flight schedules may change at short notice and passengers must check flight status before travelling to the airport. Rewa Riyasat

Around 20,200 passengers were affected by the cancellation or rescheduling of flights in the UAE alone, while a further 8,000 transit passengers were stuck in Doha. The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority announced that 60 flights transporting 17,498 passengers had departed, aiming to scale up to 80 flights daily with a capacity of 27,000 passengers. ANI News

Why Dubai Is Paying the Price for a War It Didn't Start

This is the painful geopolitical irony at the heart of the UAE's suffering — and CNN's global affairs team captured it precisely.

The UAE is one of Iran's biggest commercial partners, ranking second only to China. Bilateral trade stood at $28 billion for 2024. Around half a million Iranians call the UAE home. Iran cites Abu Dhabi's decades-long strategic alliance with Washington as justification for the attacks. ANI News

As one international relations expert put it: "Dubai is really the epicentre of globalisation. Iranian leaders view Dubai as the foundation of the Western global economic system — it rattles the world economy, not just Dubai and the UAE." Only around 100 kilometres of water separate Iran and the UAE — missiles and drones do not take long to reach Emirati shores. ANI News

The UAE had forbidden the use of its military bases or airspace in the event an attack on Iran went ahead — but that position did nothing to insulate it from Iranian retaliation. A UAE official told journalists that relations with Iran would eventually normalise, but it could take "decades" to rebuild trust. ANI News

The cruelest aspect of the UAE's position is this: Dubai spent years quietly serving as an economic lifeline for Iran when Western sanctions choked Tehran's economy — and Iran repaid that lifeline with missiles.

The UAE President Speaks — A Country That Refuses to Break

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited wounded patients in hospital and said pointedly: "The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh — we are no easy prey." He added the UAE is in "a period of war" but would "emerge stronger," and vowed to confront all "threats" against "the security and the protection of all citizens." Amar Ujala

It was a rare and deliberately calibrated public statement from a leader known for keeping his counsel private. The message was aimed simultaneously at Iran — a warning — and at the UAE's 9 million residents and global investors: this city will not break.

And in a reflection of Dubai's extraordinary normality amid extraordinary chaos, there has been no shortage of beachgoers on Dubai's sand refusing to allow a war they want no part in to change their daily lives. ANI News That image — bikinis on the beach, smoke on the horizon — is perhaps the most surreal visual metaphor of this entire conflict.

What This Means for India's 3.5 Million UAE Residents

India has more citizens in the UAE than any other country — approximately 3.5 million, concentrated in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. For this community, the war is not a news story. It is the view from their bedroom windows.

The Ministry of External Affairs has activated its crisis response cell and the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai are issuing regular advisories. Key guidance for Indian nationals:

• Do not panic-evacuate unless your employer or the Indian Embassy specifically advises relocation — civilian areas remain largely safe and air defences are functioning
• Register with the Indian Embassy emergency portal if you have not already done so
• Check IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express websites directly before going to any airport — schedules are changing at short notice
• Avoid areas near known US military installations, American consulates, and major port infrastructure during active alert periods
• Keep emergency contact numbers — Indian Embassy Abu Dhabi: +971-2-4492700, Indian Consulate Dubai: +971-4-3977777

The Oil Shock and What It Means for India's Fuel Prices

The war's economic consequences extend far beyond the Gulf.

The fire at the Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi — housing the country's largest oil refinery, which would otherwise produce 922,000 barrels of oil per day — caused ADNOC to shut off its refinery operations. India TV News

Kuwait's national oil company announced a precautionary cut to its crude production because of Iranian attacks and threats to the Strait of Hormuz — the key transit point through which a significant portion of the world's oil supply passes. Asianet Newsable

For India — which imports over 85% of its crude oil needs and sources a significant proportion from the Gulf — every barrel of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz translates directly into higher petrol and diesel prices at home. The LPG crisis already gripping MP and Chhattisgarh is directly downstream of this conflict. The war in the Gulf is not an abstract foreign news event for Indians. It is inside every kitchen that cannot get a gas cylinder.

Iran's Mixed Signals — Apology and Attack, Simultaneously

Iran sent deeply confused signals to its Gulf neighbours throughout the crisis — apologising for strikes against Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, then carrying out yet more strikes. Iran's foreign ministry told international media the Islamic Republic felt "no hostility" toward Gulf countries, but that US military assets on their territory were "legitimate" targets. IndiaMART

Iranian President Pezeshkian's apology provoked an immediate backlash from hardliners within the Revolutionary Guards and clerical establishment, with one hardline cleric publicly berating the president saying: "Your stance was unprofessional, weak and unacceptable." IndiaMART

This internal contradiction reveals the central tension within Iran's war strategy: its political leadership wants an off-ramp, but its military commanders are driving the escalation. Until those two forces align, the Gulf will remain a target.

The World Built Dubai. The World Must Now Protect It.

Dubai was built by the world, for the world — a city of migrants, of global commerce, of ambition without borders. Of its 3.5 million residents, Emirati nationals are a minority. The city's DNA is Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, British, American, and yes — Iranian. ANI News

When missiles fall on Palm Jumeirah, they fall on that shared human project. When the Burj Al Arab catches fire from drone debris, a symbol of human aspiration itself is under attack.

Iran's stated justification — that US military assets in the UAE make it a legitimate target — is a logic that, if accepted, would make every globalised city on earth a legitimate battlefield for any grievance against American foreign policy. That is a world nobody should want.

The US started this war. Israel co-authored it. But the people paying the price in blood, in destroyed infrastructure, in abandoned pets on Dubai streets, in ₹7.88 crore gas shortages in Balrampur — are ordinary people who had nothing to do with any of it.

Dubai will endure. It has survived worse — economically if not militarily. But the world that made Dubai possible must now decide whether it is willing to build the diplomatic architecture that prevents the next war, or whether it will simply watch this one end and wait for the next match to be struck.