Drone Attack Halts Oil Loadings At UAE’s Fujairah Port After Fire At Critical Energy Hub

Oil loading operations at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates were temporarily suspended on Saturday after debris from a drone interception caused a fire at the energy hub.

Authorities later confirmed that the fire had been extinguished, but exports were paused while officials assessed the terminal for possible damage.

According to the Fujairah media office, air defence systems intercepted a drone near the port on Saturday. Debris from the interception fell in the terminal area and started a fire. Civil defence teams responded quickly and brought the blaze under control.

Officials said there were no serious injuries. One Jordanian national reportedly suffered minor injuries during the incident. Authorities said the suspension of oil loading operations was taken as a precaution while the site is inspected for any damage.

Tanker tracking data showed that no oil tankers were present at the port’s loading berths on Saturday evening.

Fujairah is one of the most important oil hubs in the region. The port is located outside the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route used by many Middle Eastern oil exporters. Its location allows oil shipments to bypass the busy and sensitive waterway.

The port is connected to Abu Dhabi’s main oilfields through a pipeline that transports crude directly to Fujairah for export. The terminal is the main export point for the UAE’s Murban crude, with around 1 million barrels per day shipped from the port.

Over the past few decades, Fujairah has also developed into a major storage and bunkering hub for the global shipping industry. The port’s storage tanks can hold more than 70 million barrels of fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and marine bunker fuel.

Energy traders often use the storage facilities in Fujairah to keep supplies ready for regional markets. Many cargo ships and tankers passing through the region stop there for bunkering, supplies, and crew changes.

The incident happened shortly after the United States carried out strikes on military targets on Kharg Island in Iran, the country’s main crude export terminal.

After the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that U.S. interests in the UAE, including ports and military sites, could be targeted.

Iranian media reports also advised residents to stay away from areas near major UAE ports such as Jebel Ali and Khalifa Port.

Earlier in the week, a drone strike caused a fire at a facility in the Ruwais industrial complex. After that incident, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company temporarily shut down its Ruwais refinery.

Energy analysts say such incidents are increasing the risks for oil and shipping operations across the Gulf.

The International Energy Agency recently warned that the global market could face a serious supply crisis as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily affected by the ongoing conflict.

Nearly one fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have already risen above $100 per barrel as tensions increased.

Because of this, export routes that avoid the Strait of Hormuz have become more important. These include the pipeline linking Abu Dhabi’s oilfields to Fujairah and Saudi Arabia’s pipeline corridor to the Red Sea.

References: Reuters, Bloomberg

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