UAE transport and businesses recover from record-breaking downpour

On 16 April, all regions of the UAE experienced the heaviest rainfall in recorded history. By the evening of that day, Abu Dhabi and Dubai experienced power and water outages, and transport was blocked in major cities due to flooding. Many local businesses had employees working remotely.

The “Khatm Al Shakla" area in Al Ain in Abu Dhabi received 254.8mm of rainfall, an all-time record for the Emirates. Several experts have confirmed that the intense rainfall in one of the world's driest cities is indicative of global climate change due to rising carbon emissions. They also denied that the extreme rainfall could be explained by artificial cloud seeding.

Sharjah Charities International (SCI) announced that it has deployed all its energies to help those affected by the heavy rain. SCI is also co-operating with the National Disaster, Crisis and Emergency Management Authority and other services to provide the right amount of assistance to those affected.

Days after the weather disaster, Dubai Airport has made significant strides in recovering and normalising its operations.

“With roads in and around the airport 100% clear of water accumulation, our manpower, logistics and facilities are operating as usual again. To have the airport back up and running is no small feat. Also, 2,155 flights were cancelled, and 115 were diverted. We had to work closely with our airline partners and service providers to rework schedules, boost manpower and look after all those who had been disrupted,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered a review of the state of the country's infrastructure following the heavy rains. He instructed to provide necessary support to all those affected by the aftermath in different regions of the country and evacuate families from the affected areas with the assistance of local authorities.

The work of transport and institutions is gradually being restored. This is reported by Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS.