UAE | DD News

March 18, 2026 9:38 AM

UAE could join any US-led effort to secure Strait of Hormuz, says senior official

The United Arab Emirates may join a U.S.-led effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran all but shut the vital waterway to ships as Tehran wages war with Israel and the United States, a senior Emirati official said on Tuesday. Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said talks were ongoing and no formal plan had been agreed, but that "big countries" in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe bore responsibility for ensuring the flow of trade and energy. "This i...

March 17, 2026 11:16 PM

PM Modi, UAE President Discuss West Asia Situation; Stress Peace and Maritime Security

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which the two leaders exchanged Eid greetings and discussed the evolving situation in West Asia. During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi conveyed advance Eid wishes to the UAE President and reaffirmed India’s strong condemnation of recent attacks on the UAE that have led to loss of innocent lives and damage to civilian infrastructure. The two leaders also ...

March 16, 2026 3:52 PM

Drone strike triggers fire at Fujairah oil hub; operations suspended

Emergency teams are responding to a fire at the petroleum industrial area in Fujairah after a drone strike hit the Fujairah Oil Industries Zone on Monday morning, marking the second attack on the strategic energy hub within 48 hours. The Fujairah Government Media Office said the strike triggered a limited fire at the facility. Civil Defence units were deployed immediately and managed to bring the blaze under control. Authorities confirmed that no injuries have been reported. However, oil loadin...

March 16, 2026 3:38 PM

Dubai airport resumes flights after Iran drone strike; missile kills one in Abu Dhabi

Dubai International Airport has resumed flights to selected destinations after a temporary suspension triggered by a drone strike in the early hours of Monday morning. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority advised passengers to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights, as operations were gradually restored following the incident. The suspension was put in place after a drone struck a fuel tank close to the airport complex, setting off a large fire that sent thick bl...

March 13, 2026 9:08 AM

UAE allows residents with expired visas abroad to return under temporary measure

Military activity across West Asia has intensified over the past few hours with fresh strikes and aerial interceptions reported in several parts of the region. The Israeli military says its aircraft carried out strikes in Tehran \, targeting checkpoints run by the Basij paramilitary force. According to the Israeli defence forces, the attacks focused on roadblocks used by Iranian security forces to control movement inside the capital. Iranian authorities have not yet provided detailed confirmatio...

March 11, 2026 8:14 PM

Afghanistan-SL series in UAE postponed amid Middle East crisis

The limited-overs series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka scheduled for March in the United Arab Emirates has been postponed due to the crisis in the Middle East, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Wednesday. The teams were due to play three Twenty20s in Sharjah and three One-Day Internationals in Dubai between March 13 and March 25. The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have affected countries throughout the Gulf, disrupting travel in some of the world's busiest transit hubs and for...

March 2, 2026 4:29 PM

‘India supports resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy’: PM Modi on conflict in West Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in West Asia. Speaking at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, PM Modi said, “India’s stance on the several ongoing tensions around the world is firm. We have always called for maintaining peace and stability, and when two democracies stand together, the voice for peace becomes even stronger.” Referring specifically to the situation in West Asia, the Prime Minister de...

March 2, 2026 11:46 AM

PM Modi chairs Cabinet Committee on Security meet to review West Asia crisis, safety of Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the rapidly evolving situation in West Asia following coordinated US-Israel airstrikes on Iran and the subsequent escalation across the region. The meeting was held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the Prime Minister’s official residence, shortly after his return from a two-day visit to Puducherry and Madurai. According to an official statement, the CCS was briefed on the air strikes in Iran o...

February 23, 2026 9:17 AM

Tributes pour in for UAE’s ‘royal photographer’ Ramesh Shukla in Dubai

Dubai: The Indian community in Dubai came together to remember one of the UAE’s most celebrated photographers and Indian expatriates, Shri Ramesh Shukla, whose lens helped document the birth and growth of a nation. A commemorative gathering was held at the India Club, attended by members of the Indian diaspora, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE and the Consul General of India in Dubai, who paid tribute to a man whose work became inseparable from the UAE’s own story. Shukla, who passed away la...

February 19, 2026 3:26 PM

UAE announces major prisoner releases ahead of Ramadan 2026

In a compassionate gesture marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the United Arab Emirates' leadership has ordered the release of thousands of prisoners across the country. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the release of 1,440 inmates from correctional and penal institutions nationwide. The President will also cover outstanding financial obligations and fines tied to their sentences, allowing them to begin anew without burdens and reunite with families duri...