An American trapped in Dubai on a business trip, tells the story of hotel fear and “shock waves”

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

Christy Elmer, a consultant from New Hampshire, was on a business trip in Dubai with her Some vacation time With her husband. She described “shock waves” and “red explosions in the air” to Fox News Digital in an interview.

“You hear the explosion and you feel it,” said Elmer of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “You just see a bunch of white clouds.”

“It feels like a shock wave. You feel a vibration in your body.”

“The first day, we had a lot of anxiety about things,” Christy Elmer, who appeared with her husband, Matt Carwell, told Fox News Digital. “I’ve never been to a place with bombs floating above it.” (Christy Elmer)

Elmer works at Boston Consulting Group. She was in Dubai to promote her upcoming book How Change Really Works, and she and husband Matt Carwell were also planning to relax and sightsee.

The couple heard the explosions for the first time on Saturday while they were on the beach.

“Suddenly we felt explosions.”

“We were just… Sitting on the beach. “We weren’t watching the news or anything, just enjoying the morning. Suddenly we felt explosions,” Elmer said.

The skater’s prank backfires, leaving her dangling 65 feet in the air while the twins hold on tight.

Elmer was originally scheduled to leave Dubai on Sunday evening. She had Flights have been cancelled For Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

You’ve now booked several flights for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – hoping to be able to depart soon.

A consultant from New Hampshire, currently in Dubai on a business trip with her husband, described “shock waves” and “explosions in the air.” (David Davies/PA Images)

Dubai’s airspace was partially reopened on Monday, March 2, after a total closure that lasted for more than 48 hours, according to several reports.

Another hotel, the Burj Al Arab, caught fire over the weekend after it was struck 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, Elmer said.

“We have received multiple text message alerts from local government, as well as the U.S. government, warning us to shelter in place and stay in place.”

Elmer was originally scheduled to leave Dubai on Sunday evening. Her flights on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have now been cancelled, but she still hopes to return home this week. (Christy Elmer)

“The first day, we had a lot of anxiety about things,” she told Fox News Digital. “I’ve never been to a place with bombs floating above it.”

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

“I was really impressed with the way the UAE handled the matter,” she said.

Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were plunged into chaos. (Sawayasu Tsuji)

She said that the hotel she was staying at, which was located on the marina, did not have a basement.

but The hotel has She added that the residents of the inner rooms can move mattresses into them if necessary.

“I’m used to uncertainty, but this is completely new,” she said.

The Dubai Media Office, a government agency, confirmed today, Saturday, that four people were injured when an Iranian missile hit a hotel in the Palm Jumeirah area in Dubai. (Credit: via Storyful)

Iran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbors while responding to the attacks A major attack by American and Israeli forcesCausing fear and chaos in a place that had been quiet until Saturday, as reported by the Associated Press and other media.

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According to reports, airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha suffered from chaos.

This map shows the targets of Iranian retaliatory strikes. (Fox News)

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

Four people were injured in a hotel fire in the Palm Jumeirah area in Dubai after hearing a strong explosion.

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The Dubai Media Office, a government agency, said in a statement on Saturday that the fire had been contained.

“The safety and well-being of residents and visitors remains a top priority. The authorities continue to take all necessary measures to protect the public. We urge the public to remain calm, rely only on confirmed information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or photos on social media.” Written on X.

The couple decided to pack their bags with water and snacks.

“People (in Dubai) are still going about their day normally,” Elmer told Fox News Digital.

She even saw kids on a trampoline in an indoor play space. “There was no sense of panic.”

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When they heard the sirens, the couple decided to pack their bags with water and snacks in case they had to move quickly.

Elmer also said it was a relief To be her husband With her as they try to make decisions about their next steps – and while they try to get home as soon as possible.

Reporting was contributed by Stephen Sorace and Rachel Wolf of Fox News Digital, as well as the Associated Press.

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