Dubai Marina fire: Residents open homes, share meals with displaced tenants

As the charred upper floors of Dubai Marina’s Tiger Tower, also known as The Marina Pinnacle, stood sealed off for a third day after Friday evening’s fire, the residents once again showed why Dubai is more than just a city of skyscrapers.

From strangers opening up their homes to volunteers organising shelter, meals, pet care, and even salon services, the outpouring of support has revived memories of the April 2024 floods, when Dubai residents mobilised to help those stranded and displaced.

One of the most active hubs of support has been a WhatsApp group titled ‘Support Group to Help’, launched by Dr Deepti Arora. When the group exceeded its member limit, a second one with the same name was created to accommodate the overflow. Both groups now serve as central coordination points for clothing, food, essential supplies, and emergency assistance for those displaced by the fire.

On Sunday, one member posted an update: “We’ve arranged 35 non-veg and 15 veg meals for one of the buildings today”. Others continue to volunteer for transport, bedding, toiletries, and more. A pinned message in the group reads: “The past two days have seen immense generosity with donations pouring in from all over. The locations are now full, so please stop all donations — perishable and non-perishable. All locations remain open for those in need of clothes, food, and water.”

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The group was founded by Dr Deepti, an HR manager at a luxury retail company, after an employee she had hired from Brazil called her in distress. The young man was living in the tower affected by the fire. Deepti, who lives in Jumeirah Beach Residence, said she first saw chatter about the blaze on a ladies’ WhatsApp group.

“I tried to take the tram to check on him, but it wasn’t working. So, I followed the smoke and walked to the building,” she recalled. “What I saw was gut-wrenching.” That moment, she said, made her decide to act.

“Within hours, our group crossed a thousand members, and I had to start a second one,” she said. “We made it clear from the start — no cash donations. People needed essentials: food, clothes, even toiletries and undergarments.”

Another citizen-led effort emerged when Sevgi Anar, a Sydney-born health and fitness professional living on the 72nd floor of a building opposite Tiger Tower, began receiving messages from displaced residents. She had first spotted the fire around 9:30pm on Friday.

“People in our building were shouting across to the tower, trying to alert residents,” she recalled. “It was hard to tell who had seen the smoke and who hadn’t. Everyone just acted instinctively.”

The following morning, while walking her dog, Sevgi came across two young men asleep near a tram station. “Their feet were black with soot,” she said. The men told her they had escaped from the building. She and a friend immediately booked them into Rove Dubai Marina Hotel.

After that, more people began reaching out. “Ten boys, mostly Asian, were roughing it out near Princess Tower. We found them an apartment. Later that night, we put four more into Rove just for the night,” she said.

To better coordinate the growing requests, Sevgi started a dedicated WhatsApp group called Accommodation for Tiger Tower Residents, which now has around 150 members.

“It started when people began messaging me for help,” she said. “Now we’re just trying to connect those in need with people who can offer a place. I’m focusing only on accommodation; that’s the most urgent gap right now.”

One of the young men she assisted wrote in the group the next day: “My roommates and I were able to sleep peacefully last night. Thank you, everyone.“

While residents with tenancy or ownership contracts have been given temporary housing by the building’s management in three towers —including Nobles Tower in Business Bay, those in shared accommodation continue to face difficulties.

“I was told to go to Nobles Tower, but by the time I reached, it was full,” said one Indian resident who lived on the 20th floor.

He is currently staying at Staybridge Suites in Dubai Internet City. “Thankfully, my company is helping me with accommodation. My wife had gone to India two days ago, but she’ll be back this week.”

Ross, an Azerbaijani expat living on the 60th floor of Marina Pinnacle, said he was among the first to detect the fire. “It started small. I thought it was coming from the 62nd floor and went up to check, but then I realised it was the floor right above mine. We tried using extinguishers and then the fire hoses, but it was too intense. Once Civil Defence arrived, we ran down the stairs,” he said.

Ross suffered a minor injury from a balcony door that shattered from the heat and was treated by paramedics at the scene. “The firefighters arrived quickly and handled it very efficiently. I am really thankful for how fast they took control.”

Amid the scramble for shelter, new requests continued to come in the support group. “Dear friends, we are a family with three kids and a small dog and urgently need a place to stay,” one message read. Within minutes came a response: “I have a vacant villa in Dubai Hills. It’s unfurnished, but power and water are available. You can stay for a week.”

Support continued to pour in from all corners. Clever Dogs Pets Care in Jebel Ali is offering free boarding for displaced pets. Sisters Beauty Lounge in JBR is offering complimentary wash and blow-dry services to 20 women from the tower, provided they present a tenancy or ownership contract.

“It’s just our way to pitch in,” said Mary, the lounge’s marketing manager. “These women have been through a lot. We wanted to offer a bit of relief.”

Dubai Media Office earlier confirmed that all 3,820 residents from the 764 apartments in the 67-storey building were safely evacuated and that no injuries were reported. The blaze, which broke out around 9.30pm, was brought under control within six hours. Emergency crews remained at the site on Sunday. The cause is under investigation, and it remains unclear when residents will be allowed to return.

In the aftermath, however, it was the community response that stood out.

“Dubai isn’t only home,” said a volunteer packing essentials. “It’s where we look out for each other.”

Mazhar Farooqui

Mazhar Farooqui, also known as Maz, is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and Senior …More