A pungent gas odour affecting parts of the capital on Saturday, 24 December 2016, originated from work being carried out by a diesel and gas company, authorities said.

Officials with Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence did not identify the company, the nature or location of the work, but said the matter had been addressed and the odour did not pose a danger to the public.

Police said complaints about the strong odour began on Saturday morning and that the smell could be detected around police headquarters in the capital as late as early in the afternoon.

Residents took to social media to report the smell in Khalifa City A, Al Reem Island, Al Bateen and Muroor and Airport roads. Employees at Saadiyat and Yas public beaches said they were unaware of the odour and that the beaches were open without incident.

Some residents said the odour was strong enough to trigger a headache. However, officials with the police and civil defence denied that the gas smell was hazardous.

“It is normal, everything is normal,” the official said. “It is not dangerous for the people. I think they stopped it now.”

Sergas call centre operator and customer service, Ahmed Khan, said that he had received more than 50 phone calls from residents between 9AM and 1PM.

“It started from Saadiyat Beach residents so I sent a team there, checked the plant, gas tanks and everything,” he said. From there, the capital’s gas company dispatched teams to Al Reem Island, the Karama area, Mussafa and Airport Road.

Sergas has a gas detection system in every plant, which automatically alert to any malfunction that may occur. The company operates more than 600 gas systems in the city.