Indonesian in Dubai Hears Iranian Missile Explosions from Home

KOMPAS.com — M, an Indonesian student in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had not heard any blasts from his home near the city of Sharjah, around the Zulekha Hospital Dubai area, on Saturday 28 February 2026. That day, retaliatory missile strikes from Iran targeting United States assets in several Middle Eastern countries—including Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq—crippled international airports and caused fatalities. ‘As news of the conflict broke, in my area and most of Dubai it was still safe. There had been no news of any explosions or the like,’ he said when contacted by Kompas.com on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. Tensions were felt again in the evening as M and his family observed a glow emanating from their home area. However, he could not be certain whether the light came from missiles or fighter jets. Meanwhile, local authorities sent stern alerts via mobile phones, urging residents, including M and his family, to stay away from windows, doors and open spaces due to the possibility of further missile attacks. When the explosions were heard in the Palm Jumeirah area, Cila said, many workers in Dubai were urged to go home early to anticipate the next possible blasts. Around 19:00 local time, she heard a rumble from the sky. The sound was loud, but nothing could be seen. Security personnel at Cila’s building urged residents to remain indoors. As the day shifted to Sunday (1 March 2026), she received an emergency alert urging people to avoid open areas, and to keep doors and windows closed. Nevertheless, the tension persisted on Sunday. Cila reported that several mobile banking apps experienced outages, and people began panic-buying staple foods at supermarkets. ‘Egg stock and bottled water were really running out. I had actually started following the instructions of the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) to fill out forms and prepare an emergency bag,’ she said. The situation began to ease from Sunday afternoon through the evening (1 March 2026). However, a friend in Abu Dhabi continued to report further detonations in the early hours.