Rio and Kate Ferdinand ‘scared’ after being stuck in Dubai during missile blitz

Rio Ferdinand has been left ‘frightened’ by the ongoing Iranian missile strikes targeting Dubai.

On Saturday missiles started raining down on the city in the United Arab Emirates, which came after Iran vowed to escalate retaliation for the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has long threatened to drag the region into total war if attacked, making good on that promise in response to the USA starting ‘major combat operations’ to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities.

Soon after Dubai began being targeted, many of its four million residents began sharing updates of what was unfolding on social media – including Rio’s wife Kate, who said they were ‘safe’ despite having to have a ‘sleepover’ in their basement.

A few days on, Manchester United legend Rio has now given an insight into what life in Dubai looks like right now.

Last year the retired footballer, 47, moved to the Middle East with his wife Kate, 34, and their children, Shae, two, Cree, five, as well as Rio’s daughter Tia, 14.

During the latest episode of his football podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, he opened by admitting it had been a ‘bit of a different week’.

‘Firstly, I’m in great condition this morning as the whole family did a workout. A bit like in Covid, the whole family is doing things we wouldn’t usually be doing together,’ he explained.

‘Home-schooling a bit today. It’s frightening when you hear missiles, planes and fighter jets – I don’t know what it is – going above us, and you’re hearing big bombs, and what that is we don’t know as we don’t know the details of what they are.

‘It’s telling your kids what it is and helping them navigate through this moment, which is important especially as the dad of the house. You want to try and remain calm and keep everybody as calm as possible.

‘I’ve got to be honest guys; it’s been a bit of a scary situation but at the same time weirdly enough I’ve felt very secure and looked after. My studio has become my bunker.’

He went on to share: ‘We were advised to go into the basement on the first night of all the noise started and we were down here sleeping with duvets and stuff. We are utilising the space wisely.’

His comments come after Kate shared a series of updates on social media over the weekend, which came after what she described as a ‘very scary night’.

Taking to her Instagram Story, Kate apologised for her initial silence on the matter, thanking fans for their concerned messages.

‘I just haven’t been able to find the words. We are safe,’ she began.

‘The government are doing an amazing job of keeping it that way and despite my nerves I feel we are in very safe hands.

‘We are hoping for a calmer evening tonight, last night was very scary.’

She added that ‘Cree and Shae loved it as they couldn’t believe we all got a sleepover in the basement’.

‘Thank you for all of your prayers, this whole experience is very eye opening & I am praying for anyone affected,’ she concluded.

Rio’s sons with late wife Rebecca, Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, did not relocate with the family when they moved to Dubai last year due to their budding football careers back home in the UK.

But Kate – who rose to fame appearing on The Only Way is Essex – previously admitted she was finding it difficult returning to Dubai after spending Christmas back in London.

‘I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London, I love the UK. I love so many things about the UK. I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me,’ she said on her Blended podcast.

‘I think it’s an amazing place to live, I think it’s amazing for the children. The children are thriving and happy and living a life of just outside freedom.

‘Rio loves it so much. I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot. I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I’m just struggling with that.’

However, she added: ‘I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So, they’re doing what they want to do otherwise they’d be with us. But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.’

But speaking on LBC Radio in November, Rio revealed that the move has allowed him to spend more time with family, which he said had been a ‘great thing’.

‘I love England and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but a new journey, a new chapter, something different, I think is a refreshing new chapter in my life,’ he explained.

When revealing their overseas move publicly, Rio and Kate shared: ‘We’ve talked about this for so long, and now it’s finally real… we’re here, we are making a new home in the place we met!’

‘Missing some of our specials already & a bit scared, excited & nervous – but more than anything, ready for fresh starts and new beginnings.’

They have since moved to a £6.5million mansion in the luxurious gated community of Al Barari.

Since the initial strikes, UK flights to the Middle East have been cancelled, while airports in Dubai and Doha have halted all services until further notice.

On Saturday, the UK Foreign Office warned Brits in Dubai that they should ‘immediately shelter in place’.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also said in a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany that Iran must ‘refrain from indiscriminate military strikes’.

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