Holidaymakers in Dubai have been forced to shelter inside their hotels as the United Arab Emirates is hit hard by Iranian missiles and drones.
A fresh wave of blasts was heard in Dubai and in the Qatari capital of Doha for a second day on Sunday as defence forces intercepted missiles headed their way in response to US and Israeli attacks on Saturday.
JS Anand, founder and CEO LEVA hotels, which has a flagship hotel in Dubai, told The Independent that the attacks had caused panic and uncertainty among residents and guests.
He explained: “I think everybody was caught unawares in the city, because obviously Iran was targeting the bases and missiles were going over us. Sometimes they were intercepted, so there were really loud sounds, and some places got hit. So obviously that resulted in cancellations and a lot of people being uncertain about their flights.”
Mr Anand, who was speaking from Leva Hotel Mazaya Centre, which is situated just across from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world, added: “It caused a lot of panic, uncertainty, and there was an emergency message that came out in the night.
“It said there was a barrage of missiles coming in, everyone came to the lobby and basement, worried about what was going to happen, so we had to take care of them. Most of them have extended their stay because there are no flights and no certainty on when the airspace is going to open up.”
He continued: “Some guests came to the airport from another hotel, and have decided to come to ours. Some were even staying in the Burj Khalifa, and they didn’t want to stay in a higher building. They wanted to come into a low-rise, and we are just three floors.”
He said that around 140-150 rooms at the hotel were occupied with guests and that the UAE’s department for economy and tourism had told hoteliers that the government would cover expenses for guests unable to pay for their extended stays.
He added: “It’s obvious that right now there is no clear indication what is in store and what is going to happen next.”
Mira Thönnessen, 36, a German national who was staying at the hotel, told The Independent she did not feel safe leaving and planned to stay inside.
Her flight home to Berlin was scheduled for Monday evening, but it is looking unlikely that it will go ahead. She said: “On Saturday morning at breakfast, we got the news of the attack. Then my plan was to go straight to the hotel and get my stuff, and go to the airport. By the time we had got to the hotel, they were already closing off the airspace”.
She added: “I came here to visit my best friend, who is going through a divorce, and I came to support her. I’m thinking about going to Oman with friends of friends to go to the airport there. But I think I will probably end up staying here and hoping that it doesn’t escalate further. I’m keen to get out as quickly as possible.”
Ms Thönnessen, who is a midwife, said she has had to cancel the appointments she has due to being stuck in Dubai. “I do home births, so a lot of the women I look after are due around now, so I’ve had to pass them on to colleagues. For the ante-natal and post-natal check-ups, I’ve explained to them that I’m currently stuck and I don’t know when I will be back.”
Asked if she felt safe to go outside the hotel to walk around, she replied: “No. No, we’re staying very much in the hotel. The hotel is attached to a mall and has a restaurant.
“My financial resources are dwindling because I didn’t expect to have to stay for so long. But I don’t feel like I would want to go outside, no.”
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Two people were injured in Dubai after shrapnel from drones fell on two houses when they were intercepted, a Dubai Media Office statement said, and state media has reported that shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the UAE killed one person.
Debris from aerial interceptions caused fires at the city’s main port and on the facade of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. Four people were also injured in an incident at Dubai International Airport on Saturday.
Former Rangers and Liverpool manager, Graeme Souness, was also among travellers caught up by flight cancellations on Saturday. He posted two videos on Instagram from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi as he attempted to return to the UK.
“I’m hearing some pretty loud bangs go off and that is anti-missiles taking out missiles that have been fired at some American bases,” said Mr Souness in the first video.
An update then followed, with the 72-year-old saying: “Flight’s been cancelled, still hearing explosions so we’ve given up, we’re just going to check into a hotel for a couple of nights and see where we are.
“Hopefully, things will settle down, and we’ll get back on the flight. You get grumpy when you get delays and stuff at airports but I think we should think of people that maybe this time are dying.”
One person has been killed at Zayed International Airport, with others also injured there and at Dubai International Airport, while thousands of flights remain grounded.
On Sunday, an adviser to the UAE’s president said Iran “missed its target” with its attacks on the Arab Gulf states.
“Your war is not with your neighbours,” Anwar Gargash wrote on X, addressing Tehran.
“Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens.”
