The Dubai Airshow was forced to end early on its last day because rainfall flooded part of the trade show's exhibition hall.
"The Dubai Airshow is closed for now, we advise people to refrain from travelling to the site," organizers said in an emailed statement according to AFP. The exhibits and visitors were advised to not arrive to the area due to severe weather conditions.
Participants and visitors who arrived at the show earlier in the day posted photos and videos of the flooded halls to social networking sites.
The hall closed due to a safety concern. The show's early ending wasn't a total loss as most manufacturers had sealed final deals with customers by Wednesday. The Dubai Airshow was in its fifth and final day on Thursday. It made big headlines due to huge deals. Boeing, the U.S. based comapny made orders totalling more than $00 billion and its European rival Airbus took in more than $40 billion in orders.
In addition to the hall being closed, the show's daily flying display by international aerobatic pilots was also cancelled due to the weather.
Rain is not typical in Dubai but it can occur in the cooler months. The rain got so bad across the gulf that the United Arab Emirates ministry of education ordered public and private schools to close out of a concern for student safety.
The rain also caused a few accidents and traffic backups.
Heavy rainfall was also felt in nearby Saudi Arabia. Flooding there killed at least 11 people according to officials and at least four people are missing.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
