Drone strike hits oil industry zone near Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates hours after attack near Dubai International Airport; operations suspended

A drone strike hit an oil industry zone near the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, triggering a fire just days after a similar attack targeted key energy infrastructure in the Gulf nation.

No casualties have been reported so far, according to the Fujairah media office.

The port is the UAE’s only major oil export route that bypasses the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, according to agency reports.

Fujairah remains one of the UAE’s most critical energy hubs largely because it lies outside the Strait of Hormuz. The port serves as a major crude export terminal, handling around 1 million barrels per day of the UAE’s Murban crude — roughly equivalent to about 1 per cent of global oil demand.

Its strategic importance rises significantly if the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted. The UAE has built the Habshan–Fujairah pipeline, which connects oilfields in Abu Dhabi directly to Fujairah port. The pipeline has a capacity of roughly 1.5–2 million barrels per day, enabling the UAE to continue exporting crude to global markets through Fujairah even if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.

The attack comes amid escalating tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, during which the Strait of Hormuz — the crucial waterway between Iran and Oman that typically handles about a fifth of the world’s oil supply — has been disrupted.

Tehran has warned that it will not allow US or Israeli ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating confrontation.