The first earthquake of 5.9 magnitude jolted south Iran at 10.06am, according to the NCM. Scores of Dubai residents took to social media to report having felt the tremors. One resident said lamps in his apartment shook, while another said he ran down eight flights of stairs after feeling the quake.

There were no reports of damages or evacuations.

The second earthquake was milder, with a 4.3 magnitude. Recorded at 3.50pm, tremors from the second quake were felt by residents as well, the NCM confirmed in a social media post.

The quakes off Iran’s southern Kish Island rattled other areas in the Arabian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

Citing Iranian state television, an AP report said authorities had deployed rescue teams to the town of Jenah in the Hormozgan province, though no damage and casualties were reported. Jenah is some 1,080km south of the capital, Tehran.

This is the second instance of tremors being felt in the UAE this year. When a 5.0-magnitude quake hit south Iran in March, residents felt tremors that lasted several seconds.

In November last year, twin quakes in Iran impacted the UAE, with some buildings evacuated for residents' safety.

Minor earthquakes are not uncommon in the UAE. Last year, a seismological expert told Khaleej Times that the UAE sees up to three minor earthquakes every year, but "they have no effect on the nation and there is nothing to worry about”.