Explosions rocked Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah man-made island and drone debris caused a fire at the Burj Al Arab ultra-luxury hotel as waves of Iranian missiles targeted the UAE on Saturday, authorities said.
Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, and Jebel Ali seaport also suffered damage as the unprecedented attacks hit some of the city’s major landmarks and revenue-earners.
Two witnesses on the Palm -- an upscale, palm tree-shaped residential and leisure development -- heard an explosion and saw smoke rising from a five-star hotel.
The Dubai media office confirmed an “incident” in a building on the Palm Jumeirah caused a fire and injured four people.
Hours later, a second blast exploded close to the same building, after what looked like a drone plunged from above, another witness saw.
The United Arab Emirates said 137 missiles and 209 drones were fired at its territory by Iran, most of them intercepted by defence systems.
Debris from an intercepted drone sparked a fire at the base of the Burj Al Arab, the sail-shaped building sometimes touted as the world’s first seven-star hotel.
“Authorities confirm that a drone was intercepted and debris caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab’s outer facade,” the Dubai Media Office wrote on X.
“Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought the incident under control. No injuries have been reported.”
An AFP correspondent saw a police car deployed at the entrance of the hotel, which is blocked to pedestrians and vehicles.
Four staff were wounded at Dubai airport as a concourse sustained “minor damage”, the facility’s governing body said. The UAE had already closed its airspace, meaning most passengers had left the airport.
In Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, one person was killed and seven wounded in an “incident” at Zayed International Airport, its governing body said.
Falling debris from an interception also set off a blaze at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, which hosts US warships and is capable of handling aircraft carriers.
“Dubai Civil Defence teams responded immediately and are continuing their efforts to fully extinguish the fire,” the Dubai Media Office posted on X.
Dubai’s airport and seaport account for about 60 percent of the emirate’s revenues, official estimates show.
Roughly 90 percent of the UAE’s population consists of foreigners and Dubai is its biggest city, with a carefully curated image for opulence and glamour.
Iran launched strikes on all the oil-and-gas rich Gulf countries except for Oman, a mediator in US-Iran talks, in reprisal for attacks by the US and Israel.
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