Fact check: False claims about Dubai South fire debunked after official clarification

Claims of explosions, an attack and a fire at critical infrastructure in Dubai spread rapidly overnight, hours before authorities confirmed what had actually happened.

Fake or old videos showing flames and thick smoke were accompanied by misleading reports placing the incident at a port, a gas storage facility or linking it to the continuing regional conflict. Some reports claimed that several explosions had occurred within a short period, while others raised the possibility of a missile or drone attack.

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Dubai Civil Defence subsequently confirmed that the fire resulted from an incident at a workshop in Dubai South.

The misleading claims prior to the official confirmation were not confined to anonymous social media accounts. They were also repeated by multiple media organisations, including established international outlets, despite the absence of confirmation from authorities.

Here is what the official account establishes, how the unsupported narrative developed and why this is not the first time authorities have had to counter misleading claims about Dubai during a period of regional tension.

What has been officially confirmed?

Dubai Civil Defence said the fire broke out on Tuesday night in the Dubai South area.

According to the statement issued through the Dubai Media Office, an incident at a workshop caused several trucks and caravans to catch fire.

What was claimed overnight?

As footage circulated, misleading reports and posts claimed:

• “Multiple explosions” or a series of blasts had occurred.

• A major fire had broken out near a port or at a gas storage facility.

• The incident may have involved a missile or drone attack.

• People had been arrested for filming the fire.

The claims relied on social media footage, unnamed sources or reports attributed to other outlets. In some instances, highly specific information was published even though its source and basis could not be independently established.

Was the incident linked to the regional conflict?

No official link has been established.

Why did the false account spread so quickly?

• Footage of an old or unrelated incident appeared online before the location and cause of the actual fire had been officially established.

• Social media users added their own descriptions, including claims about explosions and the site of the fire.

• Those descriptions were repeated by accounts and publications elsewhere, making them appear to have been corroborated by several independent sources.

• Reports then connected the event to the regional situation, even though no evidence had been presented to establish that link.

The result was a mixture of genuine footage, old or misleading videos and unsupported interpretation.

Dubai rejected another explosion report on July 16

The latest incident comes less than three weeks after the Dubai Media Office rejected a report claiming that explosions had been heard in Downtown Dubai.

On July 16, an international news agency reported that witnesses had heard loud booms in central Dubai. The cause of the alleged sounds was not known when the report was published.

The Dubai Media Office issued a swift denial, saying the report concerning explosions in Downtown Dubai was false.

It urged the public and media organisations to rely only on official sources and avoid spreading rumours or unverified information.

The news agency later issued a statement saying it “regrets” the report and that the story had been retracted the same evening.

The matter did not end with the denial.

On July 18, the UAE Public Prosecution said it had expanded its investigation into the publication and circulation of the false report.

AI-generated videos

The Dubai Media Office has also previously challenged a series of alarming narratives about the emirate.

In March, authorities highlighted misleading online claims of mass evacuations, airport shutdowns, empty supermarket shelves, frozen bank accounts, a collapsing property market and investors leaving Dubai.

The media office said Dubai continued to operate normally and labelled the narratives as fake or misleading. It also highlighted the use of artificial intelligence and digitally manipulated material to depict events that had not occurred as claimed.

A later awareness message said many of the posts spreading claims about explosions, shortages and disruption were being published by accounts outside the UAE, sometimes from locations hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.

Old footage passed off as new

Not all misinformation involves a current incident.

Old videos of fires in Dubai have repeatedly been recirculated with new and inaccurate captions.

Authorities have previously warned against recirculating footage of a 2021 fire at Jebel Ali Port in connection with later incidents.

This is why even authentic footage should not be treated as proof that the description accompanying it is accurate.

What should you look for?

During an unfolding incident, it is important to separate three things:

• What somebody saw or heard.

• What they believe happened.

• What the responsible authority has confirmed.

Footage can establish that smoke or flames were visible. Witnesses can accurately report hearing a loud noise. Neither necessarily establishes the cause.

Claims should be treated cautiously when they rely on unnamed sources, carry precise but unexplained figures, or identify strategically important locations without official confirmation.

Reports linking a local fire to a missile, drone, attack or military operation require confirmation from the relevant authorities.

Written by

Sahim Salim Staff Writer

• 

As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.