If you’ve ever been to Dubai, you’ve definitely noticed these black things near stores, for example, or in parking lots. I’ll tell you what they are and what they’re for.

Every city with a population of millions will have some problems. Dubai, with all its splendor, is no exception. And one of them is rats. Yes, you heard right. During my first visit to this city, and it was three years ago, I met two at once. Quite impressive in size. For a second I even thought they were cats. One of the rats was running across the road, while the other was busily peeking out from the bushes! I still regret that I didn’t manage to take a picture of this scene.

But let’s get down to business. The black things pictured above are nothing more than rat traps. I am amazed by these fellows, I mean rats. They are happy everywhere. In the Emirates, judging by media reports, they are constantly causing mischief: gnawing, for example, electrical cables and hoses leading to gas cylinders. Moreover, in Sharjah (an emirate neighboring Dubai), rodents were even named the main culprits of fires!

And this is not a joke. In 2017, a 32-year-old maid died in Dubai as a result of a wall collapse due to an explosion in a villa. It turned out that there was a gas leak. And a rat was to blame for it, which damaged the cylinder pipe. Of course, such stories are isolated, but still.

When we were planning our move to Dubai, I read on forums that rats can be found even in high-rise buildings. Some forum members said that they found uninvited guests under the ceiling or chased them in bathrooms. Fortunately, after that incident in 2019, I have not seen rats anymore. But I come across rat traps quite often. Especially near grocery stores.

Explosion due to rodents! How rats keep Dubai residents in fear