UAE grounds private drones after deadly attack on Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates grounded private drones and light sports aircraft for a month, days after Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck the oil-rich nation’s capital.

The decision, effective Jan. 22, follows “misuse” of permits and “trespassing” into prohibited areas, the Ministry of Interior said Saturday. Exceptions might be granted for filming.

Iran-backed Houthis last week targeted a fuel depot in Abu Dhabi and the city’s main airport, ratcheting up security risks in the oil-exporting region. The attack on the depot caused fuel trucks to explode and killed three people.

The UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, said it involved cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones, with several intercepted. The Ministry of Interior’s statement on Saturday didn’t refer to the Houthi strikes.

The Persian Gulf has seen a series of attacks on shipping and oil facilities since the U.S. withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran in 2018. Washington has blamed the incidents on Iranian-backed militias, including the Houthis. A Saudi-led military coalition that includes the UAE has been battling the group in Yemen since 2015.

The Houthis regularly launch missiles and drones against Saudi Arabia, but had avoided the UAE in recent years. A strike on a major Saudi oil facility in 2019 shook global oil markets and raised fears of a new conflict in the Middle East.