Dubai: The Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) has denied reports of explosions in Downtown Dubai, calling the claims false and warning that legal action will be taken against media organisations that publish unverified information about the emirate.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 16, on X, the GDMO said reports alleging explosions in Downtown Dubai were inaccurate and urged the public and media to rely only on official sources for verified information.
The clarification followed reports by Reuters, which cited witnesses as saying they heard loud booms in the city. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB also quoted Arab sources claiming similar sounds had been heard in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
A United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defence official had earlier told the Faytuks Network that no explosions had occurred.
Reuters later updated its live coverage to reflect the Dubai government’s denial.
Government warns media
In a subsequent statement on X, the GDMO said legal action would be taken against media outlets that publish false news or unverified information about Dubai, in accordance with applicable local and federal laws.
The office reiterated that official government channels remain the sole source of accurate information during developing situations and urged the public to refrain from sharing rumours or unverified reports.
The statements come amid heightened regional tensions, during which unverified claims have spread rapidly across social media. UAE authorities have not reported any security incident linked to the reports.
