DUBAI: A thick fog has shrouded downtown Dubai ahead of a New Year’s Eve fireworks display at the world’s tallest building.

The seasonal fog, which has struck around the United Arab Emirates this week, hid the Burj Khalifa from view on Saturday morning.

A fireworks display at the building, the world’s tallest at 828 metres (2,716 feet), is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the fog caused flight delays at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel.

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology issued a fog warning on Saturday morning, saying that visibility had dropped below 100 metres (110 yards) in most areas.

High humidity and falling temperatures cause the fog to roll in seasonally along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

Published in Dawn January 1st, 2017