Fujairah resumes oil loading after drone interception and fire at key UAE export hub
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — Oil loading operations at the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah emirate have resumed after a drone attack and fire on Saturday, an industry source based in Fujairah said, restoring activity at one of the world’s most important energy logistics hubs.
- Advertisement -
Fujairah’s media office said smoke seen rising over the oil industry zone was caused by debris after air defenses intercepted a drone. The incident unfolded amid heightened regional tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
- Oil loading restarted after Saturday’s drone-related fire, an industry source said
- Fujairah handles about 1 million barrels per day of Murban crude, roughly 1% of global demand
- Hub is a major bunkering center and sits outside the Strait of Hormuz
- ADNOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment
- Bloomberg earlier reported the resumption of operations
Fujairah, a linchpin for global fuel flows on the Gulf of Oman, lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil passes. The emirate is the export outlet for about 1 million barrels per day of the UAE’s Murban crude — a volume equal to about 1% of world oil demand — and is among the busiest bunkering ports for ship refueling.
The industry source, who spoke to Reuters, said loading had restarted following the disruption and fire. The scale of any temporary curtailment was not immediately clear. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which operates in the emirate, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News earlier reported the resumption.
Video and images shared locally showed plumes of smoke rising from the industrial area on Saturday. The Fujairah media office attributed the smoke to debris after air defenses intercepted a drone, without providing details on damage or injuries.
While attacks and security incidents have periodically tested energy infrastructure across the region, Fujairah’s position outside the strait has long made it a strategic fallback for exporters seeking both resilience and speed to market. Any interruption — or swift recovery — at the hub is closely watched by crude buyers, shippers and refiners reliant on steady Murban flows and marine fuel availability.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the drone incident. Authorities in the UAE had not issued further public updates on Sunday beyond the media office statement on the interception and the smoke’s cause.
Traders said they were monitoring for any knock-on effects to vessel scheduling, storage operations and bunker supply, though the reported restart of loading helped ease immediate concerns. Market participants also looked for signals from ADNOC, the operator and primary supplier of Murban crude, on export timing and nominations.
The resumption underscores the hub’s role in sustaining regional oil logistics even as geopolitical risks remain elevated. Further details on the extent of damage, if any, and on ongoing security posture were not immediately available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
