The recent building fires in Marina and Al Barsha reinforces the need for Comprehensive Home Insurance in the UAE

A fire crews at the Tiger building in Dubai Marina put water on the blaze. Photo: The National

The fire started on the night of June 13, 2025, around 9:30 PM, with a major blaze engulfing the upper floors of the 67-storey Tiger Tower, also known as Marina Pinnacle, housing 3,820 residents across 764 apartments. Dubai Civil Defense teams swiftly responded, extinguishing the fire within six hours by 3:30 AM on June 14, ensuring the safe evacuation of all residents without any casualties, as reported by the Dubai Media Office and detailed in outlets like Khaleej Times, The National, and Gulf News. This was not the first fire at the building, with a previous kitchen-related incident on May 25, 2015, affecting the 47th floor, highlighting recurring safety concerns. Community support was remarkable, with WhatsApp groups mobilizing aid, including shelter and pet care, as noted by Khaleej Times, while The National highlighted the owners' association providing temporary accommodation. Investigations into the cause are ongoing, with authorities yet to confirm the origin, though eyewitness accounts and media reports suggest it began on the upper levels, prompting discussions on high-rise safety in Dubai.

May 13th Update :The 13 story Al Zarooni building in Al Barsha suffered a fire caused by gas leak in the Pearl View Restaurant, according to the Khaleej Times. Civil Defense teams quickly brought the fire under control and there were no reported casualties, however the fire spread to the lower floors of the residential tower. This is the third reported blaze in this densely populated district, located close to the Mall of the Emirates, in the past 6 months. While some residents found refuge with their friends, others were left homeless and needed to secure alternative accommodation.

April 14th Update : Our hearts go out to the 1,500 residents affected by the recent Sharjah fire in a 52 story High-Rise residential building in Al Nahda. It is believed that the fire would have been worse had the facade on this building not already been removed as part of Sharjah government's AED 100m Fire Safety campaign.  They are actively replacing dangerous exterior materials in 366 at-risk buildings in Sharjah with 20 out of 40 of the highest risk buildings already having been upgraded. 

30th December Update :Sadly, the building fire at Time Topaz Hotel Apartments in Al Barsha on the 30th December was not uncommon in the UAE. Last year Civil Defense attended over 2,473 significant reported fires across the country. And residential fires are growing in number, according the Ministry of Interior

Why do we have so many fires in the UAE?

While fires can have many triggers, what makes the Residential towers in the UAE so susceptible is the widespread use of flammable Aluminum cladding in buildings built before 2017. According to the Guardian newspaper over 30,000 buildings have cladding or paneling that safety experts have said accelerates the rapid spread of fires.

In fact, some buildings have caught fire more than once.

The most destructive apartment fires were at the unfortunately named Marina Torch in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Many tenants required temporary housing for several months. The cause? Likely a discarded cigarette. The good news is that each emirate is taking significant actions to mitigate these risks.

What can I do the reduce my risk?

But what does that mean for you as a landlord or a tenant? We spoke to Franck Heimberger, Head of Public Lines at GIG Insurance :

"The simple truth is that not enough people in the UAE have adequate home cover , which leaves them at risk of significant financial liabilities. Especially, if you need to find a new place to live. As a tenant, if by your negligence you cause a fire , you are liable .As a landlord if your tenant causes a fire which causes damage or god forbid Injury , you are liable too.”

For more information about the Home Insurance cover provided by GIG Insurance for Owners, Landlords and Tenants please visit our Home Insurance policy page or buy a policy here.