Leeds woman stranded in Dubai amid Iran airstrikes on hearing explosions and the 'scary' string of events
A Leeds woman has detailed the “scary” string of events after being stranded in her hotel in Dubai following airstrikes from Iranian fighter jets.
Maria Wray and her two friends from Leeds were hoping for a relaxed five-day trip to the United Arab Emirates’ capital city when they flew from Manchester on Thursday (February 26) to visit their former work colleague, who has relocated to the Gulf state.
But their plans were thrown into disarray on Saturday when Iranian fighter jets and drones began targeting hotels and other tourist-friendly spots in the city after American and Israeli forces launched attacks on Tehran.
The critical day and string of attacks resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has thrown the region and wider geopolitical landscape into conflict.
Miss Wray, from Killingbeck, said she has heard intermittent explosions across the region and been stuck in her hotel - the Swissôtel Al Muroo - since Saturday.
Speaking to the YEP, Miss Wray said that she and her friends were at a market on Saturday afternoon when they “knew something wasn’t quite right”. They headed back to their apartment and received an emergency alert on their phones later that evening telling them to stay indoors.
She said: “There was no panic or hysteria or anything. People were just getting on with life really.
“It was quite scary when we got the emergency alert through.”
While most of the Iranian attacks were intercepted, some of the region’s most familiar buildings were damaged, including the Burj Al Arab hotel and the Fairmont The Palm hotel in the luxurious Palm Jumeirah area. The Dubai International Airport has also been hit.
Miss Wray said they could hear “a few loud bangs” and “the odd explosion” throughout the day and into the evening.
She said that since the attacks the group had “stayed locally” and that the city has been “very quiet”, adding: “We feel very safe where we are.
“I think the only difference is that people aren’t going out to the main spots.”
Miss Wray and her friends were meant to fly out on Monday but air travel out of the country and across the region has been cancelled in recent days. She said that their travel agent has got them on a flight out tomorrow (Wednesday) though, saying: “Now it’s just a case of seeing if that flight goes ahead.
“But we are just so glad we booked it through a travel agent because they have just been absolutely brilliant. They were able to book us in accommodation for another two nights and we’ve not had to do anything at all. That’s reduced our stress levels.”
Miss Wray and her friends are among thousands of British people who have been stranded in Dubai, which has long been seen a safe region in the Middle East.