Perth Expat in Dubai Caught in Crossfire of Middle East War
A Perth expatriate residing in Dubai has found himself caught in the crossfire of the escalating Middle East conflict, sharing harrowing details of "hectic" scenes as missiles were intercepted and exploded directly above his head. In an exclusive interview with 92.9 Triple M radio, Shaan Subra described the surreal and frightening reality of living in a warzone, far removed from the safety of his Australian homeland.
Missile Barrage and Explosions Overhead
Subra, who remains bunkered down in his Dubai home located just 15 minutes from the Fairmont The Palm hotel—a luxury resort that suffered damage during Iranian missile attacks—was initially unaware of the conflict's outbreak. "I had no idea that anything had kicked off at all," he explained to Triple M Breakfast hosts Xav and Katie. "We were at a pres, having a drink, and then kept seeing things in the sky flying across."
The Perth man detailed witnessing missiles being shot down, followed by rapid explosions. "After you saw one, very, very soon after it was a big explosion, and then five or six explosions in a row," he recounted. This firsthand experience brought the distant news reports he had grown accustomed to in Australia into stark, terrifying focus. "For us in Australia, you see this stuff on the TV all the time and you're so disconnected from it because we're so far away, but you're also desensitised to it because you see it so often," Subra reflected. "But when you see it in real life, up front, in front of your face, it's a very, very odd feeling."
Wake-Up Call from Social Media and Luxury Hotel Damage
Reality truly set in for Subra when "scary footage" began circulating on social media, showing the aftermath at the Fairmont The Palm hotel. He described the location as one of the nicest places in the world, akin to Perth's Northbridge with its vibrant strip of pubs and clubs. "It wasn't until the footage of the Fairmont Hotel... on the palm, that had some shrapnel drop into the valet area," he said. "So when you see that, it was like 'oh okay, well this is actually happening, this is serious what are we doing'."
This visual evidence hit close to home, serving as a wake-up call for many expats and residents in Dubai. Subra expressed the shocking realisation that he was stuck in the thick of the war, with flights becoming nearly impossible to secure, leaving him feeling trapped and vulnerable.
Scariest Moment: Emergency Alert in Arabic
The self-coined scariest moment for Subra occurred in the dead of night when his phone pinged with an emergency alert he couldn't decipher. "That was the scariest bit, at about 1.30am in the morning on Sunday, when we got that emergency message come through from the Government," he shared. "It's the most harrowing beep in the middle of the night, to have your phone going off like that... I was trying to open it and all I could see was the Arabic text and it looked bad, but I couldn't open the English one."
It wasn't until a follow-up SMS in English arrived that he learned the United Arab Emirates had intercepted a staggering 400 missiles. The message reassured residents that everything was under control, advising them to stay indoors until further notice. This revelation underscored the scale of the attack and the precariousness of his situation.
Dubai Lockdown Similar to Perth During COVID
Three days into the conflict, Subra likened life in Dubai to Perth during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with empty streets creating an eerie and harrowing atmosphere. "Right now it's very calm, it's very similar to what it was like during COVID," he observed. "There's no cars on the road, everything's not shut, it's open but there is no one inside."
This comparison highlights the profound impact of the conflict on daily life, transforming a bustling metropolis into a ghost town. Subra's account provides a vivid, personal perspective on the human cost of geopolitical tensions, emphasizing how quickly normalcy can vanish in the face of war.
