India advises its citizens to reschedule non-essential travel as UAE reels through historic floods

A person stands surrounded by flood water caused by heavy rains, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on April 17, 2024. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Indian embassy in the UAE on Friday advised the inbound Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport to reschedule non-essential travel till operations normalise after the city witnessed unprecedented rains this week.

The United Arab Emirates is trying to recover from the record-setting rains this week which has caused massive flooding in Dubai and surrounding areas.

The embassy in the advisory said while the UAE authorities were working round the clock to ensure normalisation of operations, the airport authorities have advised that passengers may travel to the airport "only after" final confirmation from the respective airlines regarding the departure date and time of flights.

Due to disruption caused by unprecedented weather conditions in the UAE earlier this week, Dubai International Airport has temporarily limited the number of inbound flights, the advisory said.

Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, hoped to be back on a normal schedule within 24 hours.

"Inbound Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport are advised to reschedule non-essential travel till operations normalise," the statement said.

"To assist Indian nationals at the Dubai International Airport, the Consulate General of India in Dubai has operationalised emergency helpline numbers which have been functional since April 17," the statement said.