Key takeaway: Dubai officials contained a fire at Dubai International Airport after a drone strike forced a temporary suspension of flights; there were no reported injuries. The episode is the third security incident at the airport since Feb. 28 and comes amid hundreds of strikes across the Gulf that have disrupted regional and global aviation. Road and tunnel access to the airport was halted, Emirates suspended services, and some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Drone Strike Triggers Fire Near Dubai International Airport; Flights Temporarily Halted
Smoke rising from the Dubai International Airport is seen through the windshield of a vehicle, after a drone attack hit a fuel tank, according to Dubai authorities, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 16, 2026, REUTERS/Stringer
Dubai authorities said on Monday they brought under control a fire caused by a drone strike near Dubai International Airport that briefly forced the suspension of flights; no injuries were reported.
The incident comes amid escalating regional tensions and a series of Iranian-linked strikes on Gulf targets since Feb. 28, which authorities say were aimed at U.S. forces in the region. Those attacks have disrupted commercial aviation, prompting cancellations, reroutes and partial airspace closures across the Middle East.
Smoke rises from the Dubai International Airport after a drone attack hit a fuel tank, according to Dubai authorities, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 16, 2026, REUTERS/Stringer
"A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport affected one of the fuel tanks," the Dubai Media Office said in a post on X. Police said road and tunnel links to the airport were temporarily closed and that Emirates suspended services to and from Dubai while some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Officials did not provide a timeline for when normal flight operations would resume. Authorities confirmed there were no injuries and that the blaze was contained.
Smoke rising from the Dubai International Airport is seen through the windshield of a vehicle, after a drone attack hit a fuel tank, according to Dubai authorities, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 16, 2026, REUTERS/Stringer
Monday's event is the third security-related incident at Dubai International Airport since Feb. 28. Gulf Arab states have reported more than 2,000 missile and drone strikes since that date, affecting U.S. diplomatic sites, military bases and civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities, residences and offices.
The United Arab Emirates — which normalised ties with Israel in 2020 — has borne a significant share of the attacks, but other Gulf countries, as well as Iraq, Jordan and Turkey, also host U.S. facilities and have been affected. Tehran says its strikes target U.S. presence and interests in the region.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Menna Alaa El Din; Maha El Dahan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)
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