When you think of Dubai your mind probably conjures up images of blazing sunshine, towering skyscrapers glistening in the light, sandy beaches and clear blue waters.
Well, pictures taken of the city today show the Middle Eastern mega-city looking altogether different.
A fire that broke out in a high-rise which is currently under construction saw the city engulfed in thick black plumes of smoke, more reminiscent of Lord of the Rings' Mordor than the sun-bathed paradise we're used to.
Credit: PA
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The site of the fire was right next to Dubai's biggest shopping mall and not far from the 63-storey The Address Dubai tower, which was also damaged in a fire only a couple of years ago on New Year's Eve.
Flames raged out of the lower level windows, while loud bangs could be heard every now and then, as the propane tanks used by welders blew up inside the building.
Credit: Twitter/Anthea Ayache
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Eyewitness Anthea Ayache said: "There's so many fire brigades, so they seem to have gotten on top of it very quickly.
"It was plumes and plumes of black smoke. It looks like it was quite low down."
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The project that caught fire today was being built by Emaar Properties - the same company responsible for The Address Downtown Hotel, which was damaged in a fire on New Year's Eve in 2015.
While the cause of today's fire is still unclear, it's suspected that the fire at The Address Downtown Hotel was caused by a short circuit on a spotlight.
There have been a number of fires in Dubai skyscrapers in recent years and experts believe that many of them can be attributed to a type of cladding frequently used on such buildings which is highly flammable.
Featured Image Credit: PA