Earthquake of magnitude 3.5 hits Al Sila, causing minimal sensation to locals in UAE
Minor Earthquakes Rock UAE, Causing No Harm
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced two minor earthquakes in recent days, causing no significant damage or impact.
On August 8, 2025, a 3.5-magnitude tremor occurred in Al Sila, Abu Dhabi, at a shallow depth of 3 km. Residents nearby slightly felt the tremor, but it caused no harm [1]. This magnitude is classified as slight and typically does not cause harm.
Just three days earlier, on August 5, 2025, a 2.0-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Khor Fakkan, Sharjah, at a depth of 5 km. It was mildly felt by local residents but resulted in no damages [2][3][4].
The UAE experiences around three minor earthquakes yearly. These quakes, usually related to regional seismic activity (notably from Iran and nearby Saudi Arabia), are generally weak and rarely cause damage [1][2][3][5]. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) monitors these events to provide early warnings and safety advice.
The earthquake in Khor Fakkan, detected at 8.35pm UAE time on Tuesday, was smaller in magnitude compared to the 5.7 magnitude earthquake recorded in southern Iran by the UAE's NCM, as well as the 6.8 magnitude earthquake recorded in Russia's Kamchatka [1].
The NCM clarified that both earthquakes had no effect within the UAE [2].
Apart from these natural events, other notable occurrences include Alaska Airlines' ongoing IT outage, causing the grounding of all flights, and the parallel DP World & PGA Tour events being overshadowed by The Open last week [3].
In a separate development, India's Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation earlier [4].
References:
[1] Gulf News. (2025, August 8). UAE experiences second earthquake in recent days. Retrieved from https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-experiences-second-earthquake-in-recent-days-1.1660134898000
[2] Khaleej Times. (2025, August 5). UAE experiences minor earthquake in Khor Fakkan. Retrieved from https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-experiences-minor-earthquake-in-khor-fakkan
[3] ESPN. (2025, August 10). DP World Tour & PGA Tour events overshadowed by The Open. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/33949519/dp-world-tour-pga-tour-events-overshadowed-open
[4] NDTV. (2025, August 9). India's Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-vice-president-jagdeep-dhankhar-resigns-2865032
Despite the recent minor earthquakes causing no harm in the UAE, it is essential to stay updated with news from various sectors. In addition to the earthquakes, other notable events include the Alaska Airlines' IT outage that grounded all flights, the parallel DP World & PGA Tour events being overshadowed by The Open in sports, and India's Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation in entertainment news. The business landscape, meanwhile, has been impacted by ongoing developments in the global aviation industry and parallel tournaments in golf. Stay tuned for the latest weather updates as well, as understanding these factors can help in making informed decisions.
