No, Dubai Expo Was Not Targeted by Houthi Drone Explosion
The Claim
Explosions were heard at several Expo 2020 Dubai buildings. The explosions coincided with the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the United Arab Emirates, and people have been evacuated.
News posted on
Emerging story
Media outlets and Twitter accounts have shared a claim that explosions were heard at several Expo 2020 Dubai buildings as people started to evacuate. The alleged explosions coincided with Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to the UAE.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team investigated the claim and found it fake. No reliable news source or media outlet reported the alleged explosion, nor did the Yemen-based Houthis take responsibility for the purported drone attack that resulted in the alleged explosions at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The claim started to circulate yesterday, Jan. 30, after Abu Dhabi’s crown prince and de facto ruler Mohamed bin Zayed met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Abu Dhabi, during the latter’s first visit to the Gulf state following the normalization of relations between the two countries.
The claim also follows a statement on Twitter by the Houthi group’s military spokesperson on Jan. 25, advising that those visiting the event change their course.
The statement also prompted other fake news shared by other media outlets and social media accounts that the event has been postponed until further notice.
However, no reliable news source reported the alleged delay, nor did any of the Expo 2020 Dubai official media outlets or social media accounts announce any recent alleged delays.
According to journalists based in the UAE who were contacted by Misbar, no explosion occurred at Expo Dubai.
