The Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the busiest airports in the world, was attacked this morning, Saturday, March 7, 2026, by a drone, resulting in thick smoke rising near the runway and one of the terminals, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend all incoming and outgoing flights.
According to widely circulated videos, the moment of the drone’s fall and explosion is shown, with a metro train passing in the background, in a scene that caused panic among passengers and staff.
The Dubai Government Media Office confirmed that emergency teams intervened immediately to control the incident, but no detailed information has been released yet.
Immediate actions taken following the attack:
- Suspension of all air operations: Dubai International Airport authorities announced the temporary suspension of all incoming and outgoing flights and closed the airspace over the emirate as a precaution, in coordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
- Evacuation of affected areas: The affected terminals and buildings were evacuated in an orderly manner, with passengers transferred to safe areas outside the airport.
- Intervention of emergency teams: Firefighting, ambulance, and civil defense teams quickly spread to control any potential fires and provide medical care to the injured.
- Activation of operational emergency plans: Dubai Airports (including Al Maktoum International) activated previously prepared emergency plans to ensure the safety of passengers and staff, offering hotel vouchers to stranded travelers.
- Partial resumption of operations: After controlling the situation, some operations were restarted in a limited manner later, while wide delays continued for flights from companies such as Emirates and FlyDubai.
This incident comes amid ongoing regional escalation, with reports of Iranian attacks in response to previous strikes. The situation remains dynamic, with a significant backlog of flights and effects on air traffic across the entire Gulf region.
