Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has come to a standstill due to heavy rains and storms. A flood has appeared in the desert country. Dubai is known as the business city of the Middle East.

Record rainfall has brought gridlock to one of the world’s busiest airports. The flight is delayed or the aircraft cannot land at the airport. Cars were seen stuck on the road in flood water.

A spokesperson for Dubai International Airport said, “Due to rain, flights are being delayed and aircraft bound for the airport are unable to land due to water logging. We are trying to resume operations of the airport as soon as possible in this difficult situation.

More than 500 flights bound for or waiting to leave the airport in Dubai have been cancelled. The Meteorological Department has forecast more rain on Wednesday.

About 15 flights from India to Dubai have been cancelled, the Civil Aviation Authority of India said. Again 13 flights from Dubai to India have been cancelled.

Dubai’s largest airline, Emirates, has said that check-in for all its flights has been suspended due to inclement weather in Dubai.

Emirates authorities are working hard to restore flight schedules to normal, the airline said. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected passengers.

Dubai’s biggest shopping malls, Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, have been severely damaged by the floods. The metro station is submerged in fundamentalist water.

Officials say that metro movement has been continued on certain routes at present. Red and Green lines of the stations are undergoing maintenance work.

Rain and storms have affected areas beyond Dubai. Flooding has affected the entire UAE and neighboring Bahrain. There too, the flood has caused suffering in public life.

Educational institutions have been closed. More storms and hail are forecast today. For this, government officials have been arranged to work from home.

The storm passed through Oman and hit the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. At least 18 people, including children, have died in Oman.

According to the state-owned media, since the record was kept in 1949, it has rained the most this time. This is the highest rainfall record since the creation of the UAE in 1971.

The Meteorological Department has advised all the citizens of the country to be alert. They have been asked to avoid flood prone and waterlogged areas.