Intercepts Over Dubai On A Ramadan Evening: What I Saw

2026-03-02 05:59:25

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

'At first, I assumed it was construction. In this city, that is usually a safe bet. Then the messages started coming in,' says KT journalist, as he recounts his first-hand experience

PUBLISHED: Mon 2 Mar 2026, 1:01 PM

By:
Mazhar Farooqui

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I came to Dubai more than twenty years ago for work. I stayed long enough for it to become home.

Recommended For You UAE weather: Rains expected by night in some areas; low of 20oC in Dubai

Saturday afternoon started like any other.

We were in our apartment in Business Bay when we heard the distant booms through the windows. At first, I assumed it was construction. In this city, that is usually a safe bet. Then the messages started coming in.

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The first mentioned drones. A few minutes later, missiles.

We had been invited to my cousin's iftar in Mudon. My mum had two WhatsApp groups open at once, scrolling and reading out the latest message as it came in.

“Beta, are you sure we should go?”

At the dressing table, Eram glanced at me in the mirror and said,“If you cancel now, we're fasting twice. I've cooked nothing.”

That settled the debate.

I checked the official updates and decided to go.

The drive felt like any other Ramadan evening. Traffic was steady. Delivery bikes were weaving through lanes. Restaurants were full.

At my cousin's, the iftar was what family iftars usually are: too much food and too many conversations happening at once. Pakistan was playing Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup, chasing a semi-final spot, so the television was on in the background and every few minutes someone glanced at the score.

After maghrib, we stepped into the backyard. The sky was clear.

Then a streak of light cut across it, followed a few seconds later by a low thud.

“Intercepts at work,” someone said, sipping his kadak.

Conversation stopped. We looked up and waited for the sound to settle. After a while, people returned to their seats. Someone asked to check the score.

My phone started ringing almost immediately. Relatives were calling.“Maz, are you alright? We saw the videos.” A couple of old colleagues from India asked if I could come on air. I told them much of what was circulating did not match what I could independently confirm.

Being a journalist has its downsides. People assume you have access to secret information. One man called in the middle of the night and demanded to know when the next wave was coming. I reminded him that I was at home, not in the operations room.

Past midnight, a couple of television journalists reached out from India wanting to discuss“destruction". I asked one of them what he was seeing. It turned out to be a mix of AI-generated clips and old footage from god-knows-where.

It reminded me of the 2024 floods when wild claims flooded social media faster than the rain.

Updates were coming in steadily, urging people to rely on verified information. Even as flights were disrupted, I began hearing about stranded travellers being offered hotel stays, and in some cases temporary visa extensions to avoid complications.

Yes, there were incidents. Debris damaged part of the airport and injured four staff members. A fire near a hotel on Palm Jumeirah injured four more. These were serious developments. But they were limited in scale.

Friends living in high-rises downtown were texting about driving to another emirate for a few days.“Better safe than sorry,” one said. I told them I wasn't going anywhere, but they should decide for themselves. Most stayed.