UAE’s Fujairah oil trading hub targeted by a drone attack, causing large fire

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A family sits against the backdrop of a dockyard off the coastal city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on Feb. 25, 2026.

Giuseppe Cacace | Afp | Getty Images

A drone attack at the United Arab Emirates’ key oil trading hub of Fujairah triggered a large fire, authorities said on Monday, with no injuries reported.

“Civil Defense teams in the Emirate immediately responded to the incident and are continuing their efforts to control it,” Fujairah Media Office said on social media, according to a Google translation.

Oil loading operations at the major oil bunkering hub had been suspended as a result of the drone attack, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. CNBC has contacted the UAE’s ADNOC and is awaiting a response.

The attack comes after a separate drone strike and fire at Fujairah on Saturday, underlining the vulnerability of the UAE’s only export route that bypasses the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping traffic through one of the world’s most important energy choke points has virtually ground to a halt since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships trying to pass through the maritime corridor, with several incidents reported in recent days.

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Drone strike causes fire in UAE’s Fujairah oil trading hub

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Fujairah, one of the world’s top hubs for storing crude and fuels, is located on the eastern seaboard of the UAE and serves as a key shipping hub for the wider region.

Fujairah sits at the end of the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), or the Habshan–Fujairah oil pipeline, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

Spanning around 248 miles from onshore oil facilities at Habshan to Fujairah, the pipeline is estimated to handle 1.5 million barrels per day, with a reported total capacity of close to 1.8 million barrels per day.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said over the weekend that U.S. interests in the UAE, including ports, docks and military locations, were legitimate targets.

Iran’s state media also warned residents and workers in the area of the Fujairah, Jebel Ali and Khalifa ports to evacuate as soon as possible, saying U.S. military forces were present.

Smoke and flames rise from an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

• | Afp | Getty Images

The UAE has faced sustained attacks from Iran amid the ongoing Middle East crisis, significantly impacting life across the Emirates.

Indeed, Dubai’s International Airport said Monday that it had resumed a “limited” flight schedule after a drone attack hit a fuel depot at the airport, which caused a fire. Dubai Airport handles over 90 million passengers per year and is ranked the busiest airport globally for international traffic.

Oil prices extended gains on Friday morning. International benchmark Brent crude futures with May delivery traded 3% higher at $106.18 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with April delivery advanced 2% to reach $100.66.

Both contracts have surged more than 50% over the past month, reaching their highest levels since 2022.

Read more U.S.-Iran war news

• ‘We will remember’: Trump warns countries to help secure Strait of Hormuz as shipping stalls
• Dubai International Airport resumes ‘limited’ flights after drone attack
• FCC chair slams broadcasters after Trump disputes reports on Iran-damaged U.S. tankers
• Analysis: It will take a military breakthrough in Iran to lower oil prices
• Trump says he thinks Putin is helping Iran
• What happens if the U.S. pushes to seize Iran’s ‘oil lifeline’: Kharg Island
• Pete Hegseth on Strait of Hormuz: ‘Don’t need to worry about it’
• U.S. ‘misadventure’ in Iran has no clear exit strategy, Russia’s UK ambassador says
• Many Dubai expats fled as Iran war escalated. Those who stayed say life is ‘functioning but tense’
• Four crew killed in U.S. refueling plane that crashed in Iraq, Pentagon says
• Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as ‘tool to pressure enemy,’ Iran’s new supreme leader says
• U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz
• Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even as war chokes waterway
• Prediction markets face questions amid Iran war, nuclear detonation wagers
• Russia told Trump it has not shared intelligence with Iran during war, Witkoff says
• Oil falls even after Energy secretary wrongly claims Navy escorted tanker through Strait of Hormuz
• Strait of Hormuz will partially reopen in 2-3 weeks: David Roche
• The Iran war threatens LPG supply. India’s restaurants are in trouble
• Iran defends strikes on Gulf neighbors — but they say trust is broken
• Why China can withstand oil’s surge past $100 more easily than other countries
• Trump says oil price surge is a ‘small price to pay’ for defeating Iran
• PRO: Oil price surge could boost these Chinese stocks, Goldman says

— CNBC’s Emma Graham contributed to this report.

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