Two arriving flights had to be diverted, it said, while media reports said the planes had landed at a smaller airport in the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah.
“Dubai Airports can confirm that flight arrivals were briefly disrupted at Dubai International from 12:36 (0836 GMT) to 12:51 (0851 GMT) UAE local time this afternoon due to suspected drone activity,” a spokesperson said in a statement Sunday.
Flights at the airport have been disrupted several times in recent years by recreational drones, with the last incident occurring in February.