Dubai holiday home company offers free stays to stranded tourists
Regional airspace closures has left thousands without flights or accommodation
Dubai: The unprecedented situation unfolding across the region since Saturday, marked by Iranian missile attacks and subsequent airspace closures across the Gulf has resulted in widespread flight cancellations, leaving thousands of visitors and tourists stranded in the UAE. Amid the uncertainty, one UAE-based business stepped forward to offer meaningful support to those affected.
AraBnB, a holiday homes company operating across Dubai, offered its vacant properties free of charge to stranded travellers in need of safe, temporary accommodation. The gesture resonated widely on social media, with the company's post garnering nearly 20,000 likes and being shared extensively across platforms.
Speaking to Gulf News, AraBnB's CEO, Hreshan Raheja, explained what prompted the initiative. “A close family friend, a young woman, was stranded at Abu Dhabi Airport and her mother was understandably distressed. We offered her the use of one of our vacant apartments in Dubai. Although the family ultimately decided she should stay with a relative, the situation made me realise there must be many others in similar circumstances - with cancelled flights and no available hotel rooms. That is what prompted us to reach out through Instagram, and the response was both overwhelming and deeply encouraging.”
We had a number of vacant properties and were able to accommodate six to seven families free of charge. This is an incredibly challenging time for so many people, and it was important to us, as a business, to show empathy towards our community and to assure them that people are looking out for them.
Raheja, alongside co-founder Pranay and the wider team, worked through the night to respond to each message and coordinate the practicalities of hosting guests. “People were very anxious,” Raheja noted. “More than anything, they simply needed reassurance that someone was looking out for them."
AraBnB manages close to 40 properties, including villas and apartments across Dubai and ordinarily provides luxury rentals, subleasing arrangements and property management services on behalf of landlords. To date, the company has been able to accommodate approximately six to seven families directly since Saturday.
The initiative also inspired a broader community response. “We are part of a network of around 250 holiday home super-hosts in Dubai, and many of them were moved to offer free stays as well,” said Raheja. “For those we were unable to accommodate ourselves, we redirected them to other hosts participating in the same initiative. It demonstrates how an individual act of generosity can have a ripple effect, and how communities are capable of coming together in times of uncertainty."
He added: "Right now, the situation remains uncertain and we are all navigating this together. The most important thing is to be empathetic and to help as many people as we can."
The wider disruption
Since Saturday, 28th February, major UAE airlines have suspended operations following the closure of regional airspace, causing significant disruption to aviation across the country. Dubai Airports has advised passengers not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines directly for updates. Flight operations at Qatar Airways have also been temporarily suspended following the closure of Qatari airspace.
In response to the developing situation, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates has activated operational contingency plans to manage the impact of regional developments.
Measures introduced include the rerouting of certain flights between the country's airports, the expediting of rescheduling procedures, and the strengthening of ground coordination within passenger terminals to address potential congestion.
