North Wales expat Poppy Owen says she fears debris from defensive missiles more than the explosions as Iranian attacks hit UAE
Approximately 250,000 British citizens reside in Dubai – a varied population of business professionals, social media influencers, and pensioners. So far, many seem fairly calm despite fierce aerial bombardment from Iranian drones and missiles, which has witnessed tonnes of high explosive fired at locations throughout the Gulf following US and Israeli military actions.
Welsh-born expat Poppy Owen, who for the past three years has lived in the upmarket Damac Hills neighbourhood , situated close to the UAE’s Minhad Airbase, confesses that her body “just went into pure fear and anxiety” during the peak of the weekend’s strikes. In a recent video recorded near her Dubai residence, Poppy reveals that the near-continuous explosions she heard were “too close for comfort.”
Originally hailing from North Wales, Poppy maintains her faith in the wealthy emirate’s extensive missile defence capabilities. A considerable amount of the protective weaponry safeguarding Dubai from approaching drones and missiles is deployed from Minhad Airbase – and it’s this close distance that troubles her most.
“It’s not the explosions that were something to be worried about,” she explains. “It was more the debris that when the explosions happened, it was the debris falling down onto buildings and things and places, that was the thing that we should be scared of most.”
She recounts how she has frequently guided her two young children into their bathroom, a place where they would be safe from shattered glass.
To keep her daughters calm, Poppy has attempted to convince them that the regular explosions and flashes in the sky are part of an extraordinary fireworks display.
Poppy shares: “They were reassured that it was just fireworks and nothing to worry about whereas my body just went into pure fear and anxiety because this is too close for comfort. It’s like ‘How can it be that loud? It must be somewhere quite close.’”.
“It was probably happening every 10 minutes or so. We live next to an airbase in Damac Hills – that’s no secret – and what’s happening is that they are firing missiles from the air base next to us, out towards the attacks coming in.”
Thus far, Dubai’s defensive measures seem to be effective. Whilst most incoming drones and missiles have reportedly been intercepted, some of the UAE’s most iconic structures have suffered damage – including the Fairmont The Palm hotel in the upscale Palm Jumeirah development and the Burj Al Arab.
Dubai International Airport has also allegedly been hit by a drone, as well as Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, where one fatality has been reported.
Yasser Elsheshtawy, a professor of architecture at Columbia University who resided in Dubai for two decades, expressed to the BBC that despite only a handful of Iranian strikes being successful, the city’s meticulously crafted image has sustained lasting damage.
He stated: “When you begin to see plumes of smoke rising in the city and sounds of explosion in some of the most exclusive places, that shatters that image of Dubai as this haven of security and safety.”
The scholar further noted that even minor structural harm to iconic buildings could lead to broader reputational implications.
“It will suffer for years to come,” he declared.
Poppy says that aside from an urgent grocery run, she and her family have been living under circumstances akin to the Covid-19 lockdown.
“We were just indoors because that’s what we got told to do. We got told by the government to stay indoors and close our windows, and then all day really it was just hearing the missiles and stuff like that being shot out.
“We were just waiting for the bang, and then any bangs that were happening and shaking the villa doors, at that point we were like, ‘Right, we need to get into the bathroom and just protect the children.’”.
She mentions that information has been scarce, limited to official government announcements and the sound of defensive missiles being launched.
While she and her husband have discussed the idea of leaving the country, they have chosen to stay put for the time being.
“To be honest, the best thing you can do is just stay indoors in the comfort of your own home with all your essentials and ride it out.”