As temperatures in the UAE soared to record-breaking levels last week, even the birds were looking for relief. A lone pigeon was spotted wandering through a Dubai mall, seemingly on a mission to escape the brutal summer heat.
As seen on the video shared on X by Gulf Today, the bird explored the air-conditioned corridors, peeking at food crumbs under tables and lingering near restaurant entrances as if it were window-shopping for a cool place to settle. At one point, it hovered near a restaurant’s doorway before turning away—as if reconsidering whether it could afford the luxury of dining indoors.
This quirky moment comes as the UAE recorded its highest-ever May temperature on Saturday, when the mercury climbed to a blistering 51.6°C in Sweihan, Al Ain.
“The highest temperature recorded over the country today is 51.6°C in Sweihan (Al Ain) at 13:45 UAE local time,” the National Center of Meteorology posted on X. That figure is just shy of the all-time national high of 52°C, recorded on Abu Dhabi’s Al Yasat Island in 2010.
The intense heat, reaching 50.4°C the day prior in Abu Dhabi, also broke the previous May record of 50.2°C set in 2009.
