9news.com.au · Mar 1, 2026 · Collected from GDELT
Published: 20260301T031500Z
Video obtained and verified by CNN shows the moment the projectile, reported to be rogue missile debris, hits the ground and sets the luxury Fairmont Hotel on fire.Shrapnel injured four people.Fire at Fairmont Hotel in Dubai, where four people were injured after shrapnel from an intercepted missile is believed to have hit (X/CNBC)Missile debris appeared to hit the Fairmont Hotel, setting it alight. (CNN)Tourists across the popular holiday destination watched missiles be shot down in the sky above them, the retaliatory attacks by Iran triggering travel chaos across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with flights cancelled and airspace across the Middle East drastically emptied.Carina Rossi, a senior editor at nine.com.au, is staying at Atlantis - The Palm, located at the tip of the Palm Jumeirah district, and saw debris falling into the hotel pool about the same time as the explosion near the Fairmont.Rossi said she and other hotel guests "panicked" and ran to the beach after seeing debris fall from the sky right in front of them. "The debris didn't explode, thankfully. But it was a loud bang, something I'd never heard before," Rossi told nine.com.au.Her Emirates flight, due to leave Dubai on Saturday, was cancelled. She and other guests were then woken to an alert which urged them to seek shelter amid imminent missile threats."When we got the alert at 12.30 we could instantly hear explosions in the distance," she said.Rossi is safe and back at her hotel. The Australian government has advised travellers to avoid the UAE among a slew of other Middle Eastern countries in the wake of the US-Israel joint strike on Iran. Tourists across the popular holiday destination watched missiles be shot down in the sky above them. (CNN)An alert sent to people in Dubai following the strike. (Supplied)Debris from an intercepted drone has also damaged the Burj Al Arab, a famous seven-star hotel in Dubai.Debris caused a minor fire on the hotel's outer facade, Dubai's Media Office confirmed in a post on X."Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought the incident under control," the spokesperson said."No injuries have been reported."Marina and beach view fo the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. (Getty)How has Iran responded?The US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Saturday. Iran has retaliated with an unprecedented wave of strikes across the Middle East, targeting several nearby countries that host US military bases, as well as Israel.When the US and Israel last struck Iran in June, they targeted its stockpile of ballistic missiles, hampering its ability to retaliate.Iran could be trying to make use of its arsenal while it still has it.As well as the UAE, blasts have also been reported in Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as in Iran's key regional rival, Saudi Arabia, which vowed to take "all necessary measures" to defend itself.A drone strike caused damage and minor injuries at Kuwait International Airport.The airspace above Middle East earlier today. (FlightRadar)Qatar and Jordan intercepted missiles targeting their countries.One person was reportedly killed by falling debris after air defences intercepted missiles targeting sites in Abu Dhabi.The clashes have also disrupted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial shipping route located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.The US hasn't suffered any combat-related casualties in its operation against Iran and damage to US military installations has been minimal, US Central Command said in a statement.-- Reporting with CNN NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google PlayMake 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box hereSign up to our breaking newsletter here