Iran-Israel war: Loud explosions heard in Downtown Dubai, which houses the Burj Khalifa

Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, including one loud blast on Thursday as Iran continued strikes across the Gulf following US-Israeli attacks, as per an AFP report. Small clouds of smoke rise above a residential neighbourhood.

Authorities in Dubai reported it as a "minor drone incident".

"Dubai authorities are responding to a minor drone incident in the Al Bada'a area. No injuries have been reported," the Dubai government's media office said in a post on X.


Downtown Dubai is the city’s bustling, ultra-modern "Center of Now," iconic for not only housing Burj Khalifa but also the massive Dubai Mall, and the choreographed Dubai Fountain.

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The Gulf has borne the brunt of Iran's attacks since the Middle East war began on February 28, with 24 people killed in the region including seven US service members and 11 civilians.

Financial institutions in Dubai have already stepped up security measures, asked employees to work remotely and reviewed contingency plans amid the escalating tensions and fresh Iranian threats targeting American lenders such as Citibank, data centres and technology firms.

The developments follow the closure of US diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after last week's attack near the US consulate in Dubai.

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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) via its Tasnim News Agency has urged residents in the region to stay away from American banks, suggesting that they would be targeted, a day after Israeli attacks on an Iranian bank. Internal bank advisories asked staff to work from home to ensure safety.

The US had earlier advised American citizens in the UAE to consider leaving the country if they could do so safely.

On March 3, the US government ordered non-emergency staff and their families to depart the UAE, citing the threat of armed conflict. The US embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai have suspended routine services.

ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC, which houses offices of several international banks, including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase Bank, said the building continues to operate normally and has not been evacuated.

US Big Tech companies operating in the Gulf region also asked employees to prioritise safety and follow guidance from local authorities.

“All employees across the region, apart from critical staff responsible for maintaining cloud infrastructure, had been shifted to mandatory work from home — that continues,” a Google executive said. Most global tech firms have now shifted all regional staff to mandatory work-from-home until further notice, he added. Google has major cloud and sales operations centred in Dubai.

On Wednesday, Iran’s IRGC said offices and infrastructure run by top American companies with Israeli links and the technology of which has been used for military applications will be treated as legitimate targets.