After the heavy downpour, operations at Dubai International Airport are set to resume fully within 24 hours. After Tuesday's deluge, the airport struggled to clear the backlog of flights as many roads were flooded.
Dubai Airport Chief Operating Officer Majed Al Joker said that the airport will return to its full operational capacity within 24 hours. "Once operations are back to normal, we will assess the damages and would be able to give a figure for the size of losses," Al Joker told Al Arabiya TV in a televised interview.
He also added that the main runway was unaffected by the heavy rains. “Only the taxiways were affected,” he said.
The latest rains were the heaviest experienced by the UAE in the last 75 years. The Tuesday rains brought the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.
Flooded roads created chaos, and traffic jams. Even office spaces and homes were flooded making it difficult for people to stay in. Many reported leaks at their homes as well.
In Dubai's streets, some vehicles, including buses, could be seen almost entirely submerged in water. Long queues formed at petrol stations. Dubai airport had yet to resume normal operation after the storm flooded taxiways, forcing flight diversions, delays and cancellations. “The airport is expected to reach around 60-70 per cent by the end of Thursday,” said Al Joker.
Meanwhile, passengers stranded at the airport struggled to get food as they could not access the nearby roads due to flooding and overcrowding.
"It's horrific, we are squashed in like animals- it is dangerous and inhumane," Anne Wing, a UK tourist was quoted by BBC. "Passengers were shouting and rioting at the connection desk, there were no staff to be seen," she added.
On Wednesday, about 300 flights were cancelled and hundreds more were delayed.
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement he had ordered authorities to assess the damage and provide support to families impacted by the storm. Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum wrote on X that the safety of citizens, residents and visitors was the utmost priority."
"At a meeting with government officials in Dubai, we set directives to prepare comprehensive plans in response to natural crises such as the unexpected current weather conditions," he said.
The flash flood has killed around 20 people in Oman and one in the UAE so far.