A massive fire has engulfed a 63-storey luxury hotel near the site of Dubai's New Year's Eve fireworks display.

The blaze ran up at least 20 storeys of the Address Downtown hotel near the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper.

Dubai's government said 14 people suffered minor injuries, one person was moderately injured and another had a heart attack due to overcrowding and smoke at the site.

The city went ahead with its New Year's Eve fireworks displays, which started at the Burj Khalifa, just hours after the fire broke out.

The blaze, which was first reported at 9.30pm local time, started on the 20th floor on the outside of the tower, the government's media office said.

Burning debris was seen falling from the building as firefighters raced to the scene.

Four fire brigade teams and civil defence teams evacuated the hotel, the government added.

Internal fire-fighting systems were "preventing the spread of fire inside the hotel", it added.

It is understood that Dubai Mall, next to the hotel, was evacuated.

Kenneth Flynn, who had been in the hotel just before it was evacuated, told of panic and "people crushing each other" as they tried to get out.

He told Sky News he had been about two storeys up having a drink with his partner when she "noticed something falling from the building".

"When we walked out, the whole building was just ablaze. It was unbelievable," he said.

"The heat was so intense.

"People started to panic, crushing each other trying to get down the stairs."

Angus Villar was on the 15th floor of the building pouring champagne as he and his family prepared to celebrate the New Year.

He told Sky News that his father had gone out on to the balcony before returning to say there was a fire.

At first he thought he was joking but shortly afterwards he realised the fire was real and joined the hundreds of people trying to get out of the hotel via the stairs.

Mr Villar had to carry his mother, who uses a wheelchair, on his back.

He said there had been no other warning of the fire, adding: "It is slightly worrying that the alarm went off when it was properly on fire."

Within minutes of learning about the fire, many Dubai residents began to tweet, offering beds to those evacuated from the hotel, using the hashtag #NeedAnAddress.

The Dubai government has said it will provide residents of The Address alternative hotel accommodation.

Another witness, Lynn Van Jarsfeld, who was also in the building, said: "I don't know how everyone would have got out - it just took so quickly."