Firefighters are battling a blaze at the 84-story Torch tower near Dubai Marina, the Dubai Media Office said early Friday.
The Civil Defense Office said the building was successfully evacuated and the emergency responders had brought most of the fire under control.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, the Dubai Media Office tweeted.
Video posted to social media showed a line of fire up one side of the building and falling, flaming debris.
Witness Samer Fathallah told CNN he thinks the fire is spreading quickly and had already engulfed 30 to 40 residences. Two cars in the parking deck were set on fire by falling debris, he said.
Firefighters were battling the blaze inside the building, and the crowd gathered 500 meters away could see water shooting out of the affected units.
The Torch was the site of a fire in February 2015.
There were no deaths or injuries, and that fire was out three hours after it began, the Civil Defense Office said.
The Torch was the world’s tallest residential tower when it was completed in 2011, according to the building’s developer, Select Group. It contains 682 residential units with 24-hour security and concierge, and six retail spaces. It has 84 floors, the developer’s website says.
