Dream job turns into nightmare for Malaysian in Abu Dhabi

2026-03-03 - 01:13

Smoke rising from the Zayed Port following the reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. (AFP pic) KUALA LUMPUR: For Zaina Ahmad (not her real name), moving to Abu Dhabi for work was supposed to mark the start of a new chapter. Sadly, early on Sunday morning, that dream was rudely disrupted by the sound of explosions. Zaina had only recently arrived in the United Arab Emirates and was staying at a hotel, as many newly hired expatriates do while searching for permanent accommodation. Speaking with Bernama via FaceTime, she recalled that her seventh-floor room suddenly shook. “I thought it was construction, because in Malaysia, we’re not used to military attacks, right?” she said. Then came the loud bangs. Her phone began lighting up with messages from co-workers asking if she could hear the same sounds. Within minutes, confusion turned into fear. The blasts were not construction work – they were intercepted missiles, launched by Iran and targeting the United States air base in Abu Dhabi, located near her hotel. The strikes were reported to be in retaliation for US-Israel attacks on Iran earlier on Saturday. Other locations in the region, including Dubai and Doha, were also affected, as tensions escalated across parts of the Middle East. For Zaina, alone in a foreign country, the geopolitical headlines felt frighteningly close. “There was smoke outside my window. I think it was an intercepted missile. It was right outside my window, takut lah. The whole window was literally shaking the whole time,” she said. The booms continued intermittently throughout the morning. As a result, Zaina did not leave her hotel room all day – not even to buy food for iftar. “I had initially planned to go out and buy groceries. But everyone was panicking. The explosions were really loud,” she said. Fortunately, she still had some food supplies, including instant noodles, from when she had first arrived in the UAE. As night fell, sleep did not come. She spent hours in the bathroom, which she believed to be the safest spot in the room. She went online to register with the Malaysian embassy, refreshed news portals, and reassured worried family members back home that she was safe – for now. Then she waited. For the explosions to stop. For official announcements. To find out whether work would resume. For some sign that life would return to normal. So far, apart from official statements about the situation, little else has changed. Asked whether she would consider returning home once the situation stabilises, Zaina nevertheless hesitated. “Maybe I’ll go back for a while to see my parents,” she conceded.