Dubai: Singer and Bigg Boss contestant Rahul Vaidya was among those stranded in knee-deep waters after Dubai was hit by torrential rain. The singer took to his Instagram to share a video of him holding his sneakers as he wades through the water.
"It's quite bad here... Habibi welcome to Dubai," he wrote along with the video.
Rahul Vaidya also shared several other photos and videos of flooded roads and submerged cars. Sharing his ordeal, the Bigg Boss 14 contestant said that the situation was so bad even though it rained for just two hours.
It rained only for two hours and this is what has happened. I don't think Dubai is used to heavy rains. Everything has come to a standstill," he said.
Rahul Vaidya became a household name after participating in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol. He has sung tracks like Do Chaar Din, Keh Do Na and Tera Intezaar among others. Apart from Bigg Boss, he has also participated in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.
The singer is married to actor Disha Parmar. They started dating from the days of Bigg Boss 14 and later got married in 2021.
Dubai, the Middle East's financial centre, has been paralysed by heavy rains that caused floods across the UAE and Bahrain and left 18 dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday.
Dubai's international airport diverted numerous incoming flights as a result of the downpour. The world's busiest airport for international travelers halted arrivals at 7:26 pm, with a "gradual resumption" announced over two hours later.
Images circulating on social media depict planes navigating flooded tarmacs.
Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep in at least one Dubai Metro station, according to images posted on social media.
Some roads collapsed, residential communities were hit by heavy flooding and many householders reported leaks from roofs, doors, and windows.
Schools across the UAE closed due to the adverse weather conditions, with closures expected to continue into Wednesday as further storms are predicted. Dubai's government extended remote working for its employees through Wednesday.
The National Center for Meteorology "urged residents to take all the precautions... and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE's Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather.