• Dozens of flights grounded at Dubai airport; Sharjah roads swamped
• Authorities urge residents to stay home; Riyadh schools go remote

DUBAI: Heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states on Friday, flooding roads and disrupting flights at the world’s busiest international airport, while parts of neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Qatar were blanketed in unexpected snow.

UAE airport authorities cancelled or delayed dozens of flights as the heaviest rainstorm in months hit the desert nation. Dubai’s Emirates airline axed 13 flights on Friday, with disruptions also reported at the airport in neighbouring Sharjah after an overnight downpour brought lightning and thunder.

“Some flights... are cancelled or delayed due to adverse weather,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said. The scenes evoked memories of April 2024, when record rainfall caused widespread flooding and forced the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in Dubai.

On Thursday, Dubai police had urged residents to stay home unless “absolutely necessary.” By Friday morning, Sharjah’s main street was completely flooded, and water-pumping trucks were deployed across Dubai to clear blocked roads.

Meanwhile, snow unexpectedly covered several regions across Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Arab News and Khaleej Times The outlets reported that large areas of Qatar had also been covered by snowfall already, sharing a video of the landscape.

In Saudi Arabia, snow and light rainfall were experienced in Trojena, a mountain destination for hiking and skiing located on Jebel Al-Lawz in the province of Tabuk that reaches up to 2,600 metres, according to Arab News.

Additionally, light to moderate rain was experienced in Bir Bin Hermas, Al-Ayinah, Ammar, Al-Ula Governorate and Shaqra and its suburbs. Several other regions, including Riyadh, also experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, the outlet added.

Riyadh experienced thick cloud cover and rainfall from early yesterday. According to Arab News, all schools in the Saudi capital switched to remote learning amid the continuing inclement weather.

The National Centre for Meteorology anticipated more snow in areas north of Riyadh. In response, all schools in the Saudi capital switched to remote learning.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2025