Did you feel the tremors?…

On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the National Seismic Network of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in the UAE reported an earthquake measuring 3.0 a little past noon.

The alert was shared on the meteorology’s social media X account after the incident was recorded.

According to the post, the earthquake struck the Sea of Oman, near the coast of Dibba at 12.14pm UAE time. A map shared on NCM’s website shows the location of the quake.

UAE earthquake

Above: From NCM report

The report also stated the quake did not have any effect in the UAE.

Does the UAE ever get earthquakes?

For many cities, the possibility of a major earthquake is an unavoidable fact of life.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai do not lie on a fault line, which means the risk of an earthquake is extremely low – but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience slight wobbles from time to time.

tectonic plates

The UAE is located on the edge of the Arabian Tectonic Plate, which pushes against the Eurasian Plate. The boundary of those plates – the Zagros mountain belt of Iran – is one of the most seismically active regions in the world.

And due to UAE’s proximity to Iran, we are likely to experience mild to moderate tremors from time to time. And those who live in Dubai’s high-rises tend to feel it a bit more.

One of the biggest earthquakes felt in Dubai occurred in April 2013, when a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Iran-Pakistan border. As a result, thousands of people were evacuated from high-rise buildings in Dubai as a precaution.

Last year in October 2023, a minor earthquake was recorded in Dibba Al Fujairah. The earthquake measured a magnitude of 1.6 on the Richter scale, with the impact felt only slightly by Dibba residents.

Images: Getty Images