Residents across several areas of Dubai have reported a persistent unpleasant smell outdoors over the past two days. Dubai Municipality’s call centre confirmed receiving complaints and said relevant teams were working to address the issue.

Reports have emerged from areas including Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), The Springs, The Meadows, Al Barsha, Al Furjan and Discovery Gardens. Some residents described the odour as resembling sewage or decaying matter, while others compared it to burning plastic or chemicals.

A resident of Springs 6 said the smell had been noticeable outdoors since Tuesday, but not inside the home or car. In Dubai Production City and JLT, some people said the odour was strong enough to wake them from sleep or had even entered buildings through air-conditioning systems.

Dubai Municipality’s call centre confirmed that it had received multiple complaints and described the matter as a “widespread issue”. A call centre representative said the relevant team was working to resolve the problem and, when asked whether it could be linked to sewage facilities, appeared to confirm a connection.

However, as of the time of publication, Dubai Municipality had not officially confirmed the exact source of the smell. Gulf News contacted the municipality for an official explanation about the source and the measures being taken to address it, and said the report would be updated if further information became available.

Some social media users have speculated that the Jebel Ali wastewater treatment plant could be the source of the odour. However, this remains unverified, and no official has yet provided an explanation of the cause.