UAE residents have been left searching for alternative routes to the UK after London's Heathrow Airport said it would be closed throughout Friday due to a “significant” power failure.
One of the busiest travel hubs in the world ground to a halt in what is being described as “a seismic disruption to global air travel” after a fire at a nearby electricity substation caused the power cut. More than 1,000 flights will be affected, according to Flight Radar.
Deborah Price, who teaches drama and English at Star International School in Mirdif in Dubai, is due to fly back to Heathrow with British Airways at 2.15am on Saturday but was initially panicking that her flight would be disrupted.
“I found out about the problems at Heathrow as I was driving into work on Friday morning,” she told The National. “I was so disappointed, I couldn't believe it. Then I thought, oh well, you know, they've got the day, they'll sort it out, and then I heard they've closed the airport until midnight.”
Ms Price is due to meet her partner in London before travelling together to North Wales and has now told The National her Saturday flight is going ahead as planned. Had she heard that the airport was to remain closed for another day, she was hoping she could be redirected to another London airport, or even Birmingham or Manchester.
The fire has also disrupted passengers travelling to the Emirates from the UK to see relatives.
Karen McMichael, 39, and her mother Hazel Johnson, 74, were due to fly out from Edinburgh to Heathrow this evening to take a BA flight to Abu Dhabi to visit family. A timely call from her brother in the UAE resulted in them booking a flight out of Edinburgh to the UAE through Doha.
“We checked and there is not really an update from BA so we just went ahead and booked a different flight,” Ms McMichael told The National. “We were quite lucky that we managed to do this quickly enough, whereas there must be so many others who are just stuck because flights will be difficult to get now. I feel awful for lots of other people who will be stuck and their plans will be disrupted.”
The Heathrow shutdown would have wreaked havoc on their plans as Ms McMichael and her mother were going to help with her brother's childcare while in the UAE. “It would be a big disruption if we had not been able to make it over,” she said. “We have got a few treats booked and will also help with childcare. So we are happy that we will still be able to do this.”
The closure has paralysed Britain's busiest airport and upended the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers around the world.
“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power cut,” the airport said on X on Friday morning. “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.”
What is the impact on international flights?
Friday's closure of London Heathrow will affect more than 1,000 flights, according to Flight Radar. “Today’s total closure of London-Heathrow will affect at least 1,351 flights to/from LHR. That doesn’t include any flights that might be cancelled or delayed due to aircraft being out of position,” Flight Radar said in a post on Bluesky.
Heathrow is also one of the busiest destinations for Gulf airlines. Emirates currently operates 42 flights per week between Dubai and the airport, according to its website.
Emirates said on Friday said it cancelled three flights to and from London Heathrow: EK001/002, EK029/030 and EK031/032. “Passengers booked or connecting on to the cancelled flights to London Heathrow will not be accepted for travel,” Emirates said. “We're monitoring the situation closely and will update our customers as the situation develops.”
Dozens of other flights bound for Heathrow have been diverted to other airports. Godly Babukutty, managing director of Epic Travels in Dubai, said the repercussions would be felt for days.
“Calling it a massive disaster, it’s a very small word for what has happened,” he said. “This will go down in history as one of the worst because an airport the size of Heathrow has stopped for a day.
"From Dubai, we have mainline carriers with multiple services that are usually full to Heathrow and each of those carry 400-plus passengers. Some airlines have five to seven flights a day. And then you add the domestic flights into Heathrow, European flights and the global routes, the knock-on effect will be felt for days.”
His advice to travellers booked to travel to Heathrow on Friday was to avoid heading to London for a few days unless it was critical. “Dubai and London have a strong relationship with a lot of people travelling back and forth for business but I would ask people who were heading to Heathrow to delay travel to London if it can be avoided because there will be a lot of disruption,” he said.
“Other airports, like Gatwick or London City Airport, have their own capacity and to reroute more flights there will be difficult. If it’s possible to reschedule that would be the best option unless there is a family emergency or a conference they must attend.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Champions League Last 16
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
The Good Liar
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Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
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