Dubai’s hospitality industry is being battered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with staff being forced to take pay cuts and put on unpaid leave. After the war erupted on February 28, the airspace in the region was closed and holidays were cancelled, causing local businesses to suffer.

Since then, occupancy levels across Dubai hotels have fallen to 15-20% of the normal level for this time of year, the chief business officer of Wego said. Natasha Sideris, owner of Tasha’s hospitality group, said the US-Israel war on Iran has forced her to either fire her staff or cut their wages.

She chose the latter, cutting salaries by 30% for all staff, including herself. Her group manages 14 businesses across the UAE and employs more than 1,000 people.

She told the BBC: “The current situation is brutal. I had a choice – either fire 30% of my staff or cut salaries to save jobs. I chose the latter for now.”

A senior executive at a restaurant chain said footfall at its outlets has dropped to 15-20% of normal, causing it to put over half its staff on unpaid leave.

They said: “We have no option. We’ve already shut down a few outlets temporarily, and the rest are operating with minimal staff.”

One local told the Daily Mail: “Normally on Friday, the traffic would be gridlocked and the restaurants and shops would be very busy, but the place is a ghost town now.

“I have heard from friends that at some of the big hotels and resorts, the bosses have told their staff that they have to take their paid leave now because there are hardly any guests now, so there’s nothing to do.

“If they don’t have any leave left, will they be expected to live on nothing?”