Emergency services in Ajman have contained a large fire that swept through a 15-storey residential building.
Ajman Police said some tenants had to be rescued from their homes as flames engulfed the apartment block.
There were no deaths or injuries recorded.
The tower was evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out on Friday afternoon on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street.
The force said on social media that 16 apartments and 13 vehicles were damaged.
Police shared pictures and video of the fire taking hold in the lower section of the building.
Cooling operations were conducted after the fire was extinguished.
Police are investigating the cause of the incident.
Brig Gen Abdullah Al Matrooshi, director general of operations at Ajman Police, called on all building owners and tenants to follow safety measures to reduce the risk of fires.
Col Ailan Al Shamsi of Ajman Civil Defence said the emirate's fire crews were assisted by teams from Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.
In June, Firefighters tackled a large blaze in a 36-storey tower in the Ajman One complex.
Ajman Civil Defence and police teams were able to bring the blaze under control.
Ajman Police said there were no injuries in the fire.
Lt Col Gaith Al Kaabi, director of Al Madinah Police Station, said 64 apartments and 10 cars were damaged in the blaze, while shelter was being provided for 256 residents in conjunction with Emirates Red Crescent.
Building fires on the rise
Recent Ministry of Interior figures revealed a significant increase in the number of building fires reported in the UAE.
Civil defence teams responded to more than 3,000 incidents in 2022, including 2,169 building fires – up 3 per cent from 2,090 in 2021 and 10 per cent higher than the 1,968 recorded in 2020.
The majority of fires took place in residential areas, with homes and apartments accounting for 1,385 of the incidents, the ministry said.
Emergency services responded to 396 incidents in Ajman last year.
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
