UAE : Houses and roads are submerged in water due to a record week of rain, and traffic returns to Dubai Airport

Efforts are continuing to dry the rainwater that flooded the streets and homes of citizens in the Emirates, a week after the rainstorm hit, while Dubai International Airport has returned to normal operations.

Emirati media reported that, after a week of record rains in the Emirates, many residents are still outside their homes submerged in water, with cleaning efforts continuing in some areas, while traffic at Dubai Airport has returned to normal.

A woman who lives in one of the most affected residential areas in Dubai confirmed that the street she lives in is still submerged in knee-deep water, but the municipality is working to remove it today, Tuesday.

The same woman added: “The ground floor of my house is flooded with water and nothing remains intact. The furniture is upside down,” adding that she is waiting for the relevant authorities to completely empty the area of ​​water so that she can enter her house and assess the situation.

Another citizen said that after the family left their home on board the boats, they had to sleep at a friend’s house. The next night, the authorities provided them with a hotel, but it was far from her children’s school, so they were eventually forced to rent a furnished apartment nearby.

In the Emirate of Sharjah, large parts of roads, residential and industrial areas are still submerged in water, according to residents of the area.

Most roads were opened, life returned to normal in most parts of the country, and Dubai Airport, the busiest in the world for international passengers, resumed its normal operations.

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths confirmed in a statement, “The flight schedule at Dubai International Airport has been restored to its normal route at a rate of 1,400 flights per day,” noting that “the roads leading to the airport and its surroundings are completely free of water accumulations,” which allowed the return of “all... "Our facilities, workforce and logistics are operating normally."

He explained that “2,155 flights have been canceled and 115 other flights have been diverted” since last Tuesday.

Many passengers have not received their luggage since the disturbances that occurred at the airport during the storm and in the days that followed.

Griffiths noted that "there are some remaining challenges, including dealing with the backlog of baggage," thanking travelers "for their patience during this period."