A smoke plume rise from an ongoing fire at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. (All photos by AFP)
Dubai: Flights were temporarily suspended at Dubai's airport on Monday after a "drone-related incident" sparked a fire nearby, city authorities said.
The Emirati defence ministry later said its air defence systems were intercepting a wave of Iranian drones and missiles, without specifying where in the Gulf nation.
Iran has fired over 1,800 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, upending travel plans in the financial hub despite its air defence intercepting a vast majority of the projectiles.
The latest incident near Dubai's airport impacted a fuel tank, the city's media office said, later adding authorities had contained the blaze that broke out with no injuries reported.
"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 latest statement on X.
The UAE airline Emirates told passengers in a statement on X 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".
The national carrier said in a later post it expected to operate a "limited schedule" after 10:00 am Dubai time (0600 GMT) and that some flights had been cancelled.
Dubai's 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.
The Emirati defence ministry 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.
