‘We could not sleep’: Calcuttan in Dubai recalls night his building shook in Jebel Ali
Telegraph | 3 March 2026
A 21-year-old Calcuttan, now in Dubai, narrated his experience and anxieties to Metro.
The man, whom this newspaper is not identifying, lives in the Jebel Ali area with about 1,000 others. The Jebel Ali port, which is nearby, has been hit by Iran’s missiles.
I first heard a loud explosion near our building and saw smoke on Saturday afternoon. The building shook as it does in an earthquake. All of us were scared.
We could not sleep the entire night and stayed awake. There were several missiles and explosions.
I captured a 30-second video of one of the missiles from my window. I witnessed several missiles detonate in mid-air. It appears that the UAE military successfully intercepted those. However, some certainly struck the port area where, as we have been informed, one of the US defence bases is situated.
Around 1am local time (Sunday), we were all awake. Suddenly, all our phones vibrated at the same time. We woke up to find a pop-up message in a local language.
We did not understand the language, but it said “Safety Alert” in English. So, we understood, it was an advisory.
Later, the message was translated into English and posted in a common social media group of our company. The authorities asked everyone to stay inside, preferably shift to a lower floor. Thankfully, I stay on the first floor of the building.
Our company also issued an advisory on the social media group, saying we should not leave the building under any circumstances. If we need anything, we should alert the building’s security personnel.
The management has assured us that we will get all the essential supplies.
My friends and I, who have come from India, are scared. We want to go back home, but the airport is closed, and there is no way to return to Calcutta. I am speaking to my parents several times a day.
We are all waiting for updates from the UAE government. Our hopes were further dashed by news of the Dubai airport getting hit.
I came to Dubai for work in August 2025. I was keen to work here because it is known to be a peaceful place. So my parents also allowed me to work here. I never thought that I would be so close to a war.
We are all confused. We kept checking our mobile phones and chatting among ourselves throughout the day.