‘Sirens blared, we ran’: From Dakshina Kannada to Dubai, families on edge as intercepted missiles rattle the Gulf

“When I heard about the attack, I started praying and hoping that nothing bad would befall my children. I was relieved when they called me to inform me that the bombings took place miles away from them,” she said.

Having seen off his son Azgar to Dubai just a month ago, Hameed B had similar fears when reports of the war surfaced. “Thankfully, he is safe. But, continuous messages about the situation in the Gulf are keeping our family on the edge,” he said.

‘Everything seems under control’

The expats residing in places like Dubai, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi maintain that despite the tensions, the situation is close to normal in residential and commercial areas. “We heard this morning that a portion of Dubai Airport was bombed. Apart from that, everything seems under control. But the effect of businesses in this region will be enormous,” said Imran Khan, a resident of Ujire, who works in a real estate firm in Dubai.

Among the seven emirates, Bahrain is the worst hit along with other regions with the defence bases of the US. Even in Bahrain, where several of his friends say alerts were issued a few days ago to those working in establishments around them to vacate. “As far as we know, there have been no Indian casualties,” he said, hoping that the conflict would end soon.

Sharing a message sent to all residents by local governments, Badruddin Azman, an HR professional in Dubai, said that regular alerts were issued whenever Iranian missiles targeted parts of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, urging residents to stay indoors.

“Our parents and relatives back home are worried due to the constant stream of messages on WhatsApp and other platforms. The misinformation spread there – especially in family groups – is causing panic,” he said.

Authorities have asked us to remain indoors as debris from missiles intercepted is causing a problem, he noted, citing the death of a Pakistani national, who died after missile debris fell on his car. Currently, schools are closed until March 4, and children will continue remote learning until then, he added.

Both Mohammed Adam and Akbar Ali recall that they had the scare of their lives when they heard the sirens blare warning of a missile attack near Abu Dhabi. “We ran inside our homes, fearing that residential buildings could be targeted. Thankfully, till now, only US bases have been hit. There has not been any attack on the city per se, even though we had a tough night due to the loud explosions caused when missiles are intercepted,” he said.

Even in Saudi Arabia, the situation remains safe, said Suhail Abbas, who works at Al Jubail. “There are unconfirmed reports that there was a bombing at Riyadh. Elsewhere, apart from the tense situation, we remain safe,” he said.

Airspace closure disrupting plans

Those adversely affected by the closure of airspace include the likes of Deendayal Shetty, who had to return to Dubai from Bengaluru this week. “I don’t know how long the air closure will be. I had to be back in Dubai this week, which seems very unlikely now,” he added.

The airspace closure is affecting different parts of the state, leaving many stranded in European nations.