Terrified influencers who relocated to the UAE in search of a glamorous, tax-free lifestyle were last night scrambling for shelter as Iranian drones and missiles rained down on Dubai, turning the expat haven into a war-zone.
Plumes of thick black smoke billowed into the night sky after the five-star Fairmont hotel on Palm Jumeirah was set ablaze, with at least four people injured as UK tourists hid in basements while missiles streaked overhead.
The Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building and feared target – was evacuated as panic spread through the city, home to more than 240,000 Britons.
Missiles were seen tearing across the skyline late into the night, with footage capturing the terrifying speed of the weapons as they sliced through the air before smashing into buildings.
Among those trapped in the city are boxer Amir Khan, Love Island stars Laura Anderson and Arabella Chi, and Birmingham singer Jamelia.
Reality TV star Vicky Pattison told fans she and husband Ercan Ramadan were safe after being caught up in the chaos just hours after arriving.
While model Hofit Golan and influencer Will Bailey have both hit out at what was meant to be the ‘safest city in the world’.
And socialite Petra Ecclestone described it as ‘one of the worst, most scary nights of my life’.
Another high-profile couple who moved to Dubai last year, Rio Ferdinand and Kate Ferdinand, have yet to be heard from.
Influencer Will Bailey took to Instagram to detail how he was getting no sleep with the attack going on outside
Laura Anderson wrote on Instagram about her fears and concerns over what was going on overnight
Socialite Petra Ecclestone described the horror of the night as explosions echoed across the city
‘Ercan and I were due to fly to Sydney this evening. But like many others our flight was cancelled and we are now effectively stuck in Dubai’, Vicky Pattinson wrote
‘Ercan and I were due to fly to Sydney this evening. But like many others our flight was cancelled and we are now effectively stuck in Dubai’, she wrote.
‘We’re receiving a lot of messages from people asking if we’re ok which we are. We are currently in our hotel and have been assured we’re safe.
‘We are aware that the situation that is unfolding is scary and I’m also aware that there’s a lot of videos circulating on social media which are understandably concerning.
‘I’m not sure what else to say, other than we’re doing our best to stay calm, not feed any unconfirmed narratives and we’re thinking of everyone who is feeling unsettled and unsafe right now’.
Socialite Petra Ecclestone described the horror of the night as explosions echoed across the city.
‘We fled one place searching for peace, and last night reminded us how fragile that feeling of safety can be. It was terrifying. But we are safe, we are together, and we are holding our kids extra close today. Grateful beyond words.’
Boxer Amir Khan hasn’t spoken out publicly yet but has posted on his story the guidance for British nationals in the UAE.
Just hours before the strikes, Love Island star Arabella Chi had been playing on the beach with her daughter: ‘Dubai friends. Scary times. Stay safe,’ she wrote.
Also posting from the city was Sophia Peschisolido, who lives in Dubai with her husband and two children.
‘I never imagined I’d experience the sound of a bomb exploding. So scary. Omg.’
Boxer Amir Khan hasn’t spoken out publicly yet but has posted on his story the guidance for British nationals in the UAE
Today Will Bailey showed more missiles being intercepted over Dubai
Love Island star Laura Anderson, 36, reassured her followers that her and daughter Bonnie, two, ‘are fine’ after touching down in Dubai in the early hours of Saturday
Israeli socialite Hofit Golan (pictured) and British TV stars Vicky Pattison and Laura Anderson are among the celebrities and influencers currently caught up in the Iranian missile strikes on Dubai’s famous Palm Jumeirah
An Iranian missile hit Dubai’s famous hotel on Saturday as Tehran launches widespread revenge attacks across the Middle East following US airstrikes
She later added: ‘I just witnessed what appeared to be a missile flying over my house, it’s surreal this is actually happening. It sounds like a warzone outside. We’re scared but thankfully safe. Thank you for all the messages. We’re okay for now.’
Model Hofit Golan, 40, shared chilling footage from her hotel balcony showing rockets and explosions after arriving in Dubai just hours earlier.
Hofit recalled: ‘I heard loud explosions and I thought “I can’t believe it I am in the safest city in the world and I can’t believe this is happening”.
‘Of course I am frightened. It is a natural reaction. The UAE is supposed to be one of the safest places.
‘You see it (explosions) in front of your balcony. You see fireworks usually but that’s a different kind of lighting of the skies.’
Laura Anderson, 36, who landed in the early hours of Saturday with her two-year-old daughter, reassured followers: ‘Horrendous situation. Bonnie and I are fine.’
She later added: ‘Today we heard the bombs – ultiple loud explosions, the house shaking – and for the first time the kids heard it too/ And honestly that’s the moment it stops being news and starts feeling real’.
As Iran’s retaliation intensified, the UAE announced it had ‘partially and temporarily’ closed its airspace as a precaution, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
Dubai International Airport shut down amid global flight chaos, with smoke seen rising from the area this morning.
Authorities in Dubai were last night reported to be threatening residents with fines of up to £40,000 or prison for sharing videos of the strikes, severely limiting information coming out of the city.
Laura Anderson, 36, who landed in the early hours of Saturday with her two-year-old daughter wrote on social media her fears
British influencer Will Bailey, who was close to the Fairmont hotel in Dubai, expressed his shock as the missile landed just metres away from him
British influencer Will Bailey, who has just landed in Dubai and was sitting poolside at the hotel, said: ‘That was metres away from us. Look at this.
‘That is the Fairmont hotel in Dubai. Oh my God, oh my God.’
He added: ‘Oh my days, over the beach club is f****** mental. Literally directly above us. That is insane. They were so loud. I have no words. In the safest city in the world. Wow.’
Missiles fired from Tehran have struck US military bases in Qatar and have also hit Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain and Israel, as Iran vowed to unleash its ‘most intense offensive operation in history’.
The attacks follow confirmation from Tehran that Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint US-Israeli strikes alongside members of his family and senior military figures.
UK citizens have been urged to shelter by the British embassy in Doha, while Qatar also warned residents via an alert to stay indoors and away from military bases.
The UK withdrew its diplomatic staff from Iran on Friday due to security worries, while staff in the British embassy in Tel Aviv and their dependents have been moved to another location by the Foreign Office.
The UK Government said its priority is ‘the safety of UK nationals’ in the Middle East but that it is ‘ready to protect our interests’.
A Government spokesperson said: ‘Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.
‘Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7.
‘As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.
‘We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.’
