Heavy, incessant rains and flooding forced the organisers of the Dubai Airshow today to conclude the annual event early as emergency services were put on alert.
"The Dubai Airshow is closed for now owing to bad weather conditions. We are advising people to refrain from travelling to show," Gulfnews.Com quoted organisers F&E Aerospace as saying in a statement on the last day of the five-day event.
"The public side of the show - Skyview - is going to be closed too," the statement said.
Visitors to the airshow posted pictures and videos of the flooded exhibition halls on various social networking sites.
Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Education ordered public and private schools to remain shut as the turbulent weather swept across Gulf states.
"Due to extreme weather conditions the KHDA has advised all schools and nurseries in Dubai to close for the day, to ensure children get home safely," Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said in a statement.
Heavy downpours caused multiple accidents in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, bringing traffic to a standstill in some areas, local media reported.
Emergency services were put on alert amid warnings from police and the national weather bureau for the general public.
Earlier this week, a man was killed when floods swept through a valley in the northern Ras al-Khaimah emirate.
