Dubai, the financial hub of the United Arab Emirates, was paralysed Thursday by a power blackout and an unexplained cut in telephone services. The power-cut was a result of sudden technical failure, an official said.
Electricity went out around 9:50 am (local time) and had not been restored few hours later. All fixed telephone lines were also out of service. The official said vital services, including the Dubai international airport, police stations, hospitals and civil defence offices were not affected by the power cut as they have stand-by generators.
According to AFP, the last time Dubai experienced a major power cut was in May 1999.
