--- title: "UAE Bans Drones After Drone Used in Attack on Oil Facility" description: "The United Arab Emirates has announced a total ban on flying consumer drones anywhere within the country after last week's deadly attacks in Abu Dhabi." date: "2022-01-25" modified: "2022-01-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/uae-bans-drones-attacks" categories: - "Drones" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "drones" - "the digest" - "UAE" - "yemen" --- # UAE Bans Drones After Drone Used in Attack on Oil Facility ![The United Arab Emirates has announced a total ban on flying consumer drones anywhere within the country after last week's deadly attacks in Abu Dhabi.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Drone Ban The United Arab Emirates has announced a total ban on flying consumer drones anywhere within the country after several drones were used to [attack an oil facility]() and airport in the capital Abu Dhabi last week — a worrying escalation of already-heightened tensions in the area. On Saturday, the UAE's Ministry of Interior announced that it is "currently stopping all flying operations for owners, practitioners and enthusiasts of drones, including drones and light sports aircrafts," citing "misuse." Flying drones was already restricted in residential areas as well as anywhere near airports, [according to the *Associated Press*](). ## Dropping Explosives Last week, several flying objects dropped explosives and missiles on a key oil facility and the city's international airport, killing three people. Yemen's Houthi rebels later claimed the attack. It wouldn't be the first time Houthi rebels used drones to attack locations in Abu Dhabi. Last year, rebels dropped explosives on targets at the same international airport, a move later [condemned by the US White House](). Last week's attacks, however, were the first that caused fatalities, [according to the *BBC*](). Consumer-grade drones may be poised to become [widespread tools of terror and violent crime](). A recent video showed Mexican cartels using them to [bomb their enemies](). A total ban on drones should come as no surprise in the UAE — but whether it will be an effective way to hold off more attacks in the future remains to be seen. **READ MORE:** [UAE bans flying of recreational drones after fatal attack]() \[*AP*\] **More on drones:** *[Defibrillator Drone Swoops In and Saves Man Having Heart Attack]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()