UAE faces challenges in recovering from unprecedented heavy rainfall

The United Arab Emirates experienced its heaviest recorded rainfall ever, causing chaos and disruption across the desert nation. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, was heavily impacted, with floodwater covering portions of major highways and communities.

Despite the challenges, the airport began allowing global carriers to fly into Terminal 1 and long-haul carrier Emirates resumed operations at Terminal 3. However, the airport needed at least another 24 hours to fully resume operations close to its usual schedule.

The storm, which brought more than 142 millimeters of rainfall to Dubai in just 24 hours, overwhelmed the country’s drainage systems and led to intense flooding in various areas. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the UAE typically sees very little rainfall due to its arid desert climate.

Neighboring Oman also experienced intense floods, with the death toll rising to at least 21. The UAE’s drainage systems were quickly overwhelmed, leading to flooding in neighborhoods, business districts, and even major highways.

Authorities are now working to assess the damage caused by the historic weather event and to limit further destruction. The heavy rains have prompted discussions about climate change and the need for countries in the region to “climate-proof their futures.” The UAE’s aggressive cloud seeding campaign has also come under scrutiny, although experts believe the storm systems were the primary cause of the deluge.