A huge petrochemical plant in Ruwais, United Arab Emirates, has been brought to a standstill after an attack sparked several fires, the Abu Dhabi government’s media office said on Sunday.
The fires were caused by debris that fell after air defense interception, the agency said in a publication on X. No injuries were reported.
The United Arab Emirates and other countries around the Persian Gulf have been repeatedly attacked by Iran since the war between the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic began in late February.
The sprawling industrial zone of Ruwais in the Al Dhafra region suffered an attack last month that led to the shutdown of Abu Dhabi’s only oil refinery.
The complex’s petrochemical plant produces polyethylene and polypropylene and is operated by Borouge, a company that recently merged with Borealis and Nova to create a large polyolefins group.
State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil has been developing the Ruwais area as an important hub as the company advances refined fuel deals and builds a global chemicals and natural gas business.
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But the UAE’s infrastructure remains Iran’s priority target more than a month after the start of the war. Last week, the country’s largest gas processing plant in Habshan suspended operations following an attack.
Tehran’s bombings of energy assets across the region, and effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, have forced some of the world’s largest oil producers to reduce supply.
Among this weekend’s attacks, the headquarters of Kuwait Petroleum caught fire after a drone strike, and Bahrain reported a fire at units at Gulf Petrochemical Industries.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it struck a petrochemical complex in Iran on Saturday, claiming it produced substances for military use.
The semi-official Iranian Mehr News agency reported that five people were killed in the attack and 170 were injured.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
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