Dubai's Burj Khalifa hit by Iran's drones? Scary videos of smoke, explosions surface

Dubai live updates: Scary videos of smoke coming out of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, surfaced on social media

Updated on: Feb 28, 2026, 23:49:51 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Dubai live updates: Scary videos of smoke coming out of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, surfaced on social media amid the US-Iran conflict. This comes as a fire incident was reported in the city's famous Palm Jumeirah area, as per authorities. At least four individuals are confirmed to have sustained injuries and were transferred to medical facilities, the Dubai Media Office reported.

The Al-Fursan National Aerobatic team performs a commemorative flypast over the Dubai coastline and the Burj Khalifa (AFP)

FOLLOW: US attacks Iran LIVE: 201 killed in Iran; Israel says about 200 jets hit nearly 500 targets

What happened at Burj Khalifa?

On Saturday, reports of Burj Khalifa being evacuated surfaced. But there is no confirmation. UAE political analyst Ahmed Sharif, however, noted that the building has not been evacuated.

“Burj Khalifa is not evacuated," Sharif wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

FOLLOW: Dubai news live updates: UAE urges citizens to remain indoors after 4 injured; Burj Khalifa lights up on schedule

Now, videos claiming the Burj was hit have surfaced. “A Drone Hit the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. Iran also did hit Dubai Mall next to Burj Khalifa,” a person tweeted, attaching a video.

“Iranian missile struck close to Burj Khalifa in UAE,” another person added.

However, locals posted videos showing no damage to the building.

UAE's Ministry of Defence issues statement

The Defence Ministry, meanwhile, stated that the country's air defence systems successfully intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones.

“The Ministry of Defence announced that UAE air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a new wave of Iranian missiles and drones launched towards the country. It noted that the operation was carried out with high efficiency and with limited material damage,” it said.

“The Ministry also stated that missiles were intercepted by the UAE Air Defence system, and debris have fallen on several areas in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. No injuries have been reported."

Chaos at Dubai Airport

Arrivals and departure boards at Dubai International Airport initially showed major delays that quickly cascaded into a full suspension. Emirates canceled all flights until 3 am on Sunday, Qatar Airways halted operations until midnight, and Etihad Airways extended the suspension even longer, until Sunday afternoon.

Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced at least partial closures of their skies. Carriers including Air France, Air India, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian, Air Algerie and Lufthansa announced widespread cancellations.

(With AFP inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.