American trapped in Dubai describes hotel fright and 'shock waves' as Iran launches airstrikes

04 Mar 2026 By foxnews

American tourists trapped in Dubai are still scrambling to get home this week amid Iran's retaliatory airstrikes after a joint U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend.

On Saturday, Iranian airstrikes hit Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport, as well as Burj Al Arab Hotel and Palm Jumeirah, a popular tourist destination.

Kristy Ellmer, a consultant from New Hampshire, had been taking a business trip in Dubai along with some vacation time with her husband. She described "shock waves" and "red bursts in the air" to Fox News Digital in an interview.

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"You hear the explosion, you feel it," said Ellmer, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "You just see a bunch of white clouds."

"It feels like a shock wave. You feel a vibration through your body."

Ellmer works at Boston Consulting Group. She had been in Dubai to promote her forthcoming book, "How Change Really Works," and she and her husband, Matt Carwell, were also planning on relaxing and sightseeing.

The couple first heard explosions on Saturday when they were at the beach.

"We were just sitting on the beach. We hadn't been watching the news or anything, just enjoying the morning," Ellmer said. "All of a sudden, we felt explosions."

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Ellmer was originally scheduled to leave Dubai on Sunday night. She had flights canceled for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

She's now booked multiple flights for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - hoping she will be able to depart soon.

Dubai's airspace partially reopened on Monday, March 2, after a total shutdown lasting more than 48 hours, according to many reports.

A different hotel, Burj Al-Arab, was set ablaze over the weekend after it was hit by an Iranian suicide drone during attacks by Tehran, Reuters reported.

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On Saturday night and Sunday morning, the explosions became progressively worse, Ellmer said.

"We were getting multiple text message alerts from the local government, as well as the U.S. government, warning us to shelter and stay in place."

"On the first day, we had a lot of anxiety about things," she told Fox News Digital. "I've never been in a place that had bombs floating above."

Ellmer said they felt much calmer after 24 hours. Perhaps surprisingly, she said they feel very safe in Dubai.

"I've been really impressed with how the UAE has handled it," she said.

Her hotel, which is on a marina, does not have a basement, she said.

But the hotel does have interior rooms that occupants can move mattresses into, if necessary, she said.

"I'm used to uncertainty, but this is completely new," she said.

Iran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbors as it strikes back from the major attack by U.S. and Israeli forces, causing fear and chaos in a place that until Saturday was predictably calm, as The Associated Press and other outlets have reported.

Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were all plagued by chaos, according to reports.

Iranian weaponry rained down on Dubai, setting fire to a five-star resort, threatening the world's tallest building and killing one person and injuring seven others at the airport in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.

Four people were injured in a hotel fire in the Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai after a loud explosion was reportedly heard.

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The Dubai Media Office, a government entity, said in a statement Saturday that the fire was contained.

"The safety and well-being of residents and visitors remain the highest priority. Authorities continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the public. The public is urged to remain calm, rely solely on verified information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or images on social media," the media office wrote on X.

Still, "people [in Dubai] have been going on about their day normally," Ellmer told Fox News Digital.

She even saw children on a trampoline in an indoor play space. "There hasn't been a sense of panic."

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When they were hearing sirens, the couple decided to pack a go-bag with water and snacks in case they had to move quickly.

Ellmer also said it's been a relief to have her husband with her as they try to make decisions about their next steps - and as they try to get home as soon as they can.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Rachel Wolf, as well as The Associated Press, contributed reporting.