Dubai airport gradually resumes flights after nearby drone fire

A "drone-related incident" sparked a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport on Monday and disrupted travel, as Iran maintained its Gulf attacks, though authorities said flights were gradually resuming.

"Flights to and from DXB are gradually resuming to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure," Dubai Airports said in a statement on X.

The latest incident near what is usually the world's busiest airport for international travel affected a fuel tank, the Dubai media office said, later adding that authorities had contained a fire that broke out and reporting no injuries.

Two witnesses told AFP they saw a thick plume of black smoke rising from the direction of the airport at around 10:00 local Dubai time, hours after the incident.

A witness at Dubai airport told AFP that passengers awaiting their flights had been evacuated to a lower floor after the attack for several hours.

"It has been a difficult few weeks hearing explosions regularly, but the Iranian attacks followed me in my last hours before I could fly back home" they added.

The Dubai fuel attacks came after attacks on fuel depots last weekend plunged Tehran into darkness as poisonous black clouds rose from burning oil facilities.

The UAE airline Emirates said it expected to operate a "limited schedule" after 10:00 am Dubai time (0600 GMT) and that some flights had been cancelled.

It had earlier told passengers not to come to the airport and said it was working with authorities "to assess the situation and support the safe resumption of operations when possible".

Dubai police said the main road to the airport had been temporarily closed to traffic.

On Wednesday, Dubai's media office said two falling drones wounded four people near the airport.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia's defense ministry also reported intercepting more than 60 drones since midnight on Monday in the east of the country.

Iran has fired over 1,900 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran since the start of the Middle East war, upending travel plans in the financial hub despite its air defense intercepting the vast majority of the projectiles.

It has taken aim at US assets but also civilian infrastructure, including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities around the Gulf, after US-Israeli attacks decimated its leadership.

The UAE has reported six deaths since the war began, including four civilians and two military personnel, who died in a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction. — Agence France-Presse