Photo: KAMRAN JEBREILI/AP PHOTO/PICTURE ALLIANCE / Deutsche Welle
The tallest building in the world was enveloped in Dubai on Wednesday by a brown curtain, as a sandstorm that has swept part of the Middle East hit the United Arab Emirates.
The Burj Khalifa tower, of 828 meters, which dominates Dubai and is usually visible throughout this financial center, was semi-hidden by this meteorological phenomenon, which has already affected areas of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries in recent days.
The storms have closed airports and schools, and sent thousands of people to hospitals, suffering from respiratory problems.
Increasingly frequent phenomenon
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Dubai was now considered “dangerous”, according to waqi.info, an application that measures air pollution.
The sandstorms in the Middle East are turning more frequent and intense, due according to experts to deforestation, overgrazing and overexploitation of river waters.
The Emirati authorities have issued warnings at the national level urging the population to remain vigilant.
“Abu Dhabi police urge drivers to exercise caution due to low visibility caused by winds and the sand” he indicated in a tweet.