Dubai’s financial district hit by kamikaze drone as smoke pours from building struck by debris
Dubai’s financial district was hit by a drone on Friday morning, with the debris from an intercepted Iranian attack damaging a building.
Footage from the International Finance Centre shows huge clouds of smoke billowing from the towering structure.
It is the latest in a series of incidents in the UAE city since the US-Israeli war on Iran began two weeks ago.
Dubai officials shared in a post on X that “debris from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the facade of a building in central Dubai. No injuries have been reported.”
An Iranian official had warned on Wednesday that it would target banks and economic centres linked to the US and Israel.
Several major banks, including American lenders, have offices in Dubai’s financial district, which serves as an international financial hub, and some have encouraged their staff to leave the region and work remotely, given the ongoing and widening conflict.
Bloomberg employees based in the Gulf, including the Dubai regional headquarters, were asked to relocate and work elsewhere temporarily earlier this week, a spokesperson told Reuters.
Banks such as the US lender Citigroup and Britain’s Standard Chartered, as well as the London Stock Exchange Group, have also informed employees in Dubai of the need to work remotely.
Iran has carried out repeated drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recent weeks, including Dubai’s airport, hotels, its harbour and residential towers.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence says it has countered over 1,514 drones and 268 ballistic missiles since the war began. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have also come under attack by Iran.
Dubai authorities, keen to maintain the city’s reputation as a safe haven in the region, have cracked down on people sharing footage of incidents.
A 60-year-old British tourist was arrested in Dubai on Monday for allegedly filming Iranian missiles while on holiday. He is one of 21 people to have been taken into custody under the UAE’s cyber crime laws, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai.
The British embassy in the UAE has reiterated that photographing or sharing images of incident sites, projectile damage, government buildings, or diplomatic missions is strictly prohibited.
The punishment could include up to two years in prison, hefty fines ranging from £4,000 to £40,000, or both, as well as deportation.
