Multiple explosions have shaken Dubai, with witnesses reporting loud blasts and thick smoke. The incidents began around 2:40 am local time on Wednesday, August 5 (11:40 pm on Tuesday, August 4 in the UK). Eyewitnesses have observed a building engulfed in flames in the Jebel Ali industrial area, approximately 25 miles southwest of downtown Dubai.

Authorities have not yet provided an explanation for the explosions and fire. Emergency services are on-site, and residents have mentioned hearing fire truck sirens in the vicinity. One witness stated, “I can see the building on fire in the Jebel Ali industrial area. The most recent blast, the seventh one, occurred about 20 minutes ago. Emergency responders are present, as I heard fire truck sirens.”

Another witness reported hearing “at least 4-5 blasts in the Jebel Ali region,” with the sounds reaching Al Furjan nearby. Images circulating online depict smoke spreading across the cityscape, while videos purportedly show firefighters combatting the blaze in the affected area.

Dubai is a favored destination for British expatriates, with an estimated 240,000 Britons residing in the Emirati city, making the UK community the largest European group in the country.