It is a tall structure within the massive development named Downtown Dubai, which includes the centerpiece super-tall building, the Burj Khalifa.

Commenting on the speed with which the fire spread, Jonathan Gilliam, a CNN law-enforcement analyst, said, "This is looking absolutely horrific.

[19][20] He sent text messages alerting the authorities to his emergency, sought help by Facebook posts, and filmed the encroaching fire, eventually tying a rope around himself to a nearby window-cleaning platform and hanging off a balcony before being rescued.

[19][20] Those who sustained smoke inhalation and minor injuries were treated by 20 doctors and 50 nurses from the Dubai Health Authority at the site, according to Al Mazeina.

[15] Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence, Major General Rashid Thani Rashid Al Matroushi, said that all of the hotel residents were evacuated, none of the injured were children,[15] and that fire "broke out only in the external interface and the majority of the fire did not make it to the inside.

The show still went on as planned, but with some flaws in the LED programming; by midnight, authorities had deemed the fire to be 90 percent contained.

[25] The forensic investigation identified that the short circuit was caused by electrical wires of the spotlight used to illuminate the building between the 14th and the 15th floor.

[30] In late 2016, renovation on the tower had started, and while the re-construction was going on, another building under construction within Downtown Dubai, caught fire.

Re-construction, installation of safety features and renovation of the Address Downtown Hotel had been completed in 2018.