Dubai Municipality reassures residents after swarms of locust spotted, ‘situation under control’

Dubai’s municipality has told residents there is no cause for concern after recent sightings of swarms of locust in the city – adding that the situation is now under control.

A number of videos were posted on social media that appeared to show swarms of the large insects flying over parts of Dubai.

The swarms appeared to coincide with storms that saw high winds and torrential rain hit parts of Dubai.
The local authority said it was the high winds that carried the bugs with them into some areas.

“Pest control teams are intensifying their efforts to eliminate them permanently… The situation is under control and there’s no need to worry,” the municipality told Arabic daily Emarat Al-Youm.

There have been swarms of locust spotted across the Gulf region in recent months.

In April, Al-Ain municipality posted a video on their efforts to fight off swarms of locust, while Abu Dhabi also increased efforts to fight off the bug on Dalma island. 

The locust – related to the grasshopper – form enormous swarms which spread and feed on crops, which can cause significant damage to agricultural crops.