UAE's biggest oil refinery halts operations after drone strike causes fire

The largest oil refinery in the United Arab Emirates, located in Ruwais, has suspended operations following a drone strike that sparked a fire in the industrial area, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

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Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) is currently assessing the extent of the damage at the refinery, which has a daily processing capacity of 922,000 barrels of oil.

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The attack on the refinery, part of a growing wave of incidents across West Asia, has raised concerns about disruptions to energy assets in the Persian Gulf, a region that is vital to global oil supplies.

The UAE government confirmed the fire at the Ruwais industrial zone, which also houses a fertilizer plant, chemical facilities, and a power plant. A major oil export facility is also located nearby.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office reported that emergency services were responding to the blaze.

This attack follows a series of similar incidents across the region after Iran launched retaliatory strikes in countries housing US military bases. Last week, a drone strike forced Saudi Arabia to shut down its largest refinery, and another that temporarily halted operations at the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Qatar.