Shropshire family trapped in Dubai missile attacks
A Midlands businessman has shared dramatic footage of missiles flying over his Dubai hotel, as he and his family found themselves stranded in the Middle East amid escalating conflict.
Manny Athwal, who lives near Bridgnorth in Shropshire and is the founder of School of Coding & AI, travelled to Dubai for the opening of a new international campus.
But instead of celebrating, he ended up sheltering in the basement of the Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah with his wife and two children after missiles were intercepted overhead and debris set nearby buildings on fire.
Manny told us it’s the first time he’s truly felt the fear of war. “We are stuck here with our children with no flights out,” he said.
“Our room is on the 14th floor and it has been very loud up there, with loud bangs and the building shaking. People are scared. My children are scared.”
As attacks ramped up over the weekend, hotel guests - alongside the Athwal family - were evacuated to the basement for safety.
Manny has been keeping friends and colleagues updated with posts and videos on his LinkedIn, showing the missiles in the night sky and the tense atmosphere inside the hotel.
“Everything is closed. There are hardly any people on the roads. The pools and bars are shut. I’ve never seen Dubai like this before,” he said.
“We’re trying to stay in the lower areas of the hotel as a precaution. People are very scared, but we’re all safe at the moment.”
Despite the anxiety and uncertainty, Manny says his family is safe for now but has no idea when they’ll be able to return home. “We’re effectively stuck,” he explained.
“I know there have been reports of Dubai being attacked but for me it doesn’t feel like Dubai itself is under attack. We just happen to be right in the middle of what’s happening between Abu Dhabi and Iran.”
Manny had travelled to Dubai for the launch of a new £3 million campus in Dubai Media City, with the first student intake due in May.
For now, he and his family - and many other guests - are waiting for news on when flights might resume and when it will be safe to travel home.