UAE flooding: Fujairah hotels fully booked as residents seek shelter

One hotel gave up some of its rooms to staff after their accommodation was flooded amid heavy rain

People wade throuh water on a flooded road in Fujairah. Antonie Robertson / The National

Related: What is causing UAE's heavy summer rainfall?

Hotels in Fujairah have experienced a surge in bookings as people seek shelter from flooding, caused by a summer deluge in the emirate.

Torrential rain over recent days has caused major disruption across the Northern Emirates, leading to waterlogged roads and closures, overflowing wadis and damage to homes.

On Thursday evening, officials said more than 800 people were rescued and 3,800 were placed in temporary accommodation, officials said in a televised broadcast.

While the middle of the week, during the hot summer months, is typically a quieter period for hotels, the unsettled weather meant all hands were on deck for staff.

A receptionist at the Mirage Hotel in Dibba said 60 of its 72 rooms were occupied, many by residents who walked in late on Wednesday evening in need of a place to stay amid the hazardous weather.

The Fujairah Hotel and Resort also reached maximum occupancy, with some rooms given to staff whose accommodation was flooded.

“We have 30 rooms and they are all booked. Some of them have been given to our staff members and the rest were booked by residents affected by the floods," said Rona Espanolia, a receptionist at the hotel.

“We’ve never experienced it this bad before, but the sun has come out in some areas, and hopefully things will get better from here.”

The City Plaza Hotel in Fujairah City welcomed a number of late-night guests on Wednesday evening.

Mohammed Irfan, the receptionist at the hotel, said every room was taken during a busy Wednesday evening.

“We had a lot of walk-in customers last night from 9pm to 10pm when it was raining heavyily and the floods became worse,” he said.

“We have 37 rooms and now we are fully booked. Last night, there was a lot of flooding in our area too and a lot of the ways were closed, but now it’s clearer around our hotel."

'People needed a place to stay'

Prodyut Sinha, who is in charge of the front office at the Sandy Beach Hotel and Resort in Fujairah, said they received a handful of walk-in customers on Wednesday night.

“People came last night because they needed a place to stay,” he said.

“It was a messy situation yesterday because of the rain. There were also plenty of people who left the hotel yesterday because they couldn’t do any activities.

“It’s more manageable in hotel buildings, but we’re a resort and with this kind of weather it gets difficult.

Hotels in Ras Al Khaimah that spoke to The National said they were operating as normal.

Flooding has affected the Al Nakheel district, a suburb in the emirate, which has only a few hotels.