A fire in the oil industry zone of UAE's Fujairah port after a drone attack

Infrastructure at the Port of Fujairah and its associated Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) in the United Arab Emirates has been affected by a drone-related incident. This incident is reported against a backdrop of escalating widespread conflicts and regional tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel, which began in 2026.

According to reliable sources, on March 9, 2026, a drone widely believed to belong to Iran was destroyed in the air by the United Arab Emirates' air defense systems. The debris from the destroyed drone fell into the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, causing a fire that resulted in some damage to its oil storage infrastructure.

Emergency response teams immediately brought the fire under control, and authorities have confirmed that no casualties were reported. However, as a precautionary measure, bunkering operations for ships and activities at several oil storage terminals were temporarily suspended, which somewhat restricted marine fuel supply in the region. By March 12-14, 2026, operations at most terminals, including Fujairah Oil Terminal (FOTT), were gradually returning to normal. Nevertheless, some facilities, such as a terminal with naphtha storage tanks damaged by a similar previous incident, are still not fully operational.

Prior to this incident, in early March 2026 (around March 3), there were also reports of fires and smoke plumes resulting from the interception of Iranian drones targeting Fujairah facilities, with videos showing black smoke rising into the sky. Although photos and videos of massive fires circulated on social media, portraying this as a direct Iranian drone attack, official reports indicate that these were fires caused by falling debris. While some parties claimed direct attacks on storage tanks, various conflicting narratives have emerged amidst the wartime atmosphere.

The Port of Fujairah, located outside the Strait of Hormuz, is a crucial global hub for oil storage, bunkering, and export. Therefore, any disruption in this region significantly impacts the global energy market. These incidents, considered part of a series of retaliatory attacks targeting energy infrastructure in the Gulf region, have already created significant instability in global crude oil prices.