Concerns of Indonesian Workers in Abu Dhabi
An Indonesian migrant worker from Cianjur Regency, West Java, who works in Abu Dhabi, Hadiyanti, says she was frightened when missiles struck near Dubai. Although the distance from her workplace is considerable, she witnessed a red flash in the sky and heard explosions. ‘My colleagues and I briefly ran to upper floors to take cover. We felt anxious and scared. Even though the strike did not target Abu Dhabi, we were frightened,’ the 38-year-old woman said in a voice message to Tempo on Saturday, 7 March 2026.
According to Hadiyanti, during the missile attack on Saturday 28 February 2026, the employer briefly furloughed workers and assured them that the situation was safe. According to the employer, the Iranian missile attack was directed at American military facilities in the city of Dubai. ‘The employer said Abu Dhabi was not the target of Iran’s attack because there are no American bases there. The bases are in Dubai, about an hour away from here. Dubai indeed has many foreign Western expatriates living there.’
The resident of Mayak Village, Cibeber District, Cianjur, said she has been working in Abu Dhabi for more than three years and had only recently renewed her work contract, so there are no plans to return to Indonesia. ‘However, given the situation, if the employer considers it dangerous, we may be sent home to Indonesia. But for now we feel safe.’
The Cianjur Regency government in West Java continues to coordinate with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek solutions and accelerate the repatriation of Cianjur residents who are trapped by the Middle East conflict. Regent Mohammad Wahyu Ferdian said they are continuing to liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in several Middle Eastern countries to ensure the safety of Cianjur residents. ‘We will continue to coordinate so the Foreign Ministry can quickly find a solution to expedite the repatriation of Cianjur residents trapped by the Middle East conflict,’ Wahyu said in Cianjur on Saturday 7 March 2026.
Wahyu said that due to the war in the Middle East, some flights in several countries have been suspended. The Indonesian government is seeking to redirect Indonesian citizens to countries still operating flights. ‘Hopefully this issue can be resolved soon, and we hope that no Indonesian from Cianjur will become a victim in the conflict,’ he said. He added that they are continuing to tally the number of Cianjur residents trapped by the conflict, as residents are spread across several Middle Eastern countries affected by the war. In addition, Wahyu urged residents who had registered to perform Umrah to postpone their plans. ‘Better to delay for now and wait for certainty and for the security situation in the Middle East to be declared safe,’ he said.