A Very Real Update From Dubai

When you can literally hear the sky.

It’s 2nd March, 12:40pm in Dubai and I’m in my home. I’m starting it this way because I want to remember the exact moment I wrote it, sitting here, trying to make sense of something I never thought I’d experience.

This newsletter is different from my usual ones. If you haven’t seen what’s been happening in this part of the world, there has been escalating tension and military action between the US, Israel and Iran, including missiles being fired toward US bases in the region. The UAE

The UAE has intercepted attempts that have crossed into its airspace, and debris has fallen in some areas as a result of those interceptions. I’m not writing this to take a position or give an opinion. I’m simply sharing what it feels like to be here in Dubai, on the ground, watching it unfold in real time and living through it day by day.

This started for me on 28th February, in the most normal way possible. I was getting ready and doing my makeup. We had plans to play padel with friends. Bobby called me into the lounge and said Abu Dhabi had been hit with debris from an interception.

We cancelled our plans immediately. The rest of the day was basically us watching the news, messaging family, checking in on friends, and trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. Airspace was closed, so no flights coming or going, and that alone makes everything feel ten times more serious. Even if you’re sitting in your living room, you’re suddenly very aware that normal life has been paused.

Bobby has been calm, and I can’t even tell you how much that’s helped me. Not in a everything’s fine way, but in a steady way. Like, we’ll deal with what’s in front of us, one step at a time. If he was panicking, I think I would’ve completely spiraled.

Then we saw real time missile interceptions from our windows. I remember how quickly my body reacted before my brain even caught up with what was going on. That instant drop in your stomach, like your body knows something is wrong before you’ve fully processed it. People think it’s just a visual thing, like something you see in the sky. It isn’t. You see it, but you also feel it. The ground rumbles. It’s a rumble that goes through the air and through your body. It’s loud in a way that doesn’t just sound loud…it goes through your body. It makes you tense up before you even think.

Since the 28th, my heart has genuinely felt like it’s sitting in my throat. That’s the only way I can describe it. You know that feeling when you’re bracing for something? It’s like that, but it’s been sitting there for days. And then there’s Nico. Looking at him has been its own emotional thing for me. He doesn’t know what’s happening, but I can tell he senses something. He’s more alert. He’s glued to us. He’s reading the room constantly. And it makes me feel even worse because I can’t explain it to him. He’s just living off our energy, which we can’t help.

Staying in touch with friends who live in Dubai has also really helped. I invited my neighbor over yesterday with her dog as her partner is out of town, so I’m aware she’s on her own…I couldn’t imagine being alone right now. And even though our topic of conversation was what’s going on, it still helped to be around others.

That first night, 28th February, I didn’t sleep. At all. I was under the covers on my phone, refreshing updates, and trying to filter what was real. Social media is a mess in moments like this…so much fake news, so much panic content, so many people reposting things with confidence that aren’t even true. I stopped looking at most of it because it was making my anxiety worse. The only things I’ve trusted are verified government sources, and updates from people we actually know who are in Dubai in different areas. That, and what we can physically see and feel ourselves. I think I slept maybe an hour in total.

The next day, 1st March, I didn’t nap…how could I?! Even when you’re exhausted, your body won’t relax. There were interceptions happening through the day, and it felt like every couple of hours something would happen. You’d be trying to do a normal thing, like make food, reply to a message, take a shower, and then you’d hear it or feel it again and your body goes straight back into alert mode.

Some of the damage you might have heard about, hotels and certain areas, has been from debris falling after interceptions. And I want to say this clearly…we’re incredibly thankful for the UAE prioritizing protection. We’ve seen it with our own eyes…literally. When you live here, you already know safety is taken seriously, but witnessing the defence response like this makes you appreciate it in a completely different way. Instructions from the government have been clear and consise, and their response has been swift.

Last night was the first night I slept properly. It was quiet. No sounds. No shaking. It weirdly felt like a normal night, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that until I woke up and felt like my body had unclenched a little. I woke up to a clear sky this morning and I felt calm for a moment. I actually wondered if we were out of danger because it felt so normal.

But then the quiet also plays with your head. Because when you’ve been on edge for days, silence doesn’t always feel peaceful. Sometimes it feels like you’re waiting.

This morning I told Bobby I’d take Nico out for his walk and I’d be quick. So far he’s been taking him but I really needed to get some air and things had been calm all night. I thought I was fine until I got outside. Every little noise was setting me off. And that’s when it hit me that this isn’t just fear in the moment, it’s your nervous system being completely overstimulated. You’re scanning the sky without meaning to. You’re listening too hard. You’re trying to control what you can’t control, and your body is reacting to everything.

Later this morning I was putting clothes out on the kitchen balcony and Bobby was with me making his breakfast. Then we felt the rumbling first. That low vibration where you just know. Then we saw a rocket go up to intercept something. The noise was so loud it’s hard to describe it properly. And instantly, that fear flooded back into me.

I can’t eat. I have no appetite. Food feels irrelevant, and I hate that because I know I need to eat, but my body is in this constant state of tension. I’m trying to do normal things, but my brain won’t stay focused. You start a task and then your mind goes straight back to the same intrusive thoughts….What if it gets worse? What if the next one is closer? How long does this go on for?

At the same time, this has put so much into perspective. There are people in other countries who live with this and worse every single day. For them, this isn’t new. It’s not shocking. It’s normal. That thought has stayed with me. There are people who go to bed every night with fear and wake up with it still sitting there. Then there are the people who have it even worse. The people who lose families and homes. My heart goes out to them in a way I don’t think I fully understood before.

Right now, we’re safe. And I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for where we live. I’m grateful for the strength of the defence forces here. I’m grateful for Bobby’s calm. I’m grateful for small moments of quiet.

I don’t know what the next few days will bring. I just hope it de-escalates and stops. I hope we stay safe. I hope this calm feeling I had this morning comes back and actually stays. And I hope I’m writing a very different kind of newsletter soon.

For now, I’m here. We’re staying indoors. I’m trying to keep things steady in my mind. And if you’re reading this from far away, please don’t panic on my behalf…I truly appreciate all the messages I’ve been getting. Just keep us in your thoughts and pray for things to calm down.