This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with William Harper, 18, a high school student living in Dubai. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
My dad was blowing out the candles on his birthday cake when streaks of light lit up the sky above us.
We were on a staycation in a historic port city in the UAE, about an hour north of Dubai, where we live.
It was a surreal experience. From our table, we could see missile interceptions arcing across the night sky — flashes and trails with no impact on the ground. Staff asked guests to stay calm.
We’d already been planning to leave Dubai for the staycation when we heard the first bangs that morning. I checked my phone and saw messages from friends asking if others had heard it. My dad had also been told by contacts that something may have been hit near Abu Dhabi.
Unsure if roads might close or how the situation would develop, my family decided to go ahead anyway.
Watching things progress
During the drive, our phones kept lighting up with updates from Dubai.
Honestly, at the time, I didn’t feel scared. Watching the interceptions felt, in a way, interesting — because there was no visible damage, nothing actually landing nearby.
However, on some days later, the explosions were loud enough to shake the house. That was probably the only time it felt genuinely frightening — not because anything hit us, but because of how powerful the interceptions were. The phone alerts were also intense — sudden, loud alarms warning of potential strikes.
What stood out to me afterward was how different it all felt compared to how it was being portrayed internationally.
A lot of the coverage made it seem like Dubai had become unsafe overnight, like people were panicking. That wasn’t really the case. My family felt safe, and life, in many ways, carried on.
The biggest disruption for me
It wasn’t the attacks themselves — it was school.
I was born in London, lived there for two years, and then moved to Singapore, where my little brother was born and where my family stayed for 12 years.
We moved to Dubai when I was 15. I’ve enjoyed living in Dubai — there’s a lot to do — but the lack of public transport and the traffic can be challenging.
I’m in my final year, and have been studying for A-levels, which are the main exams UK students take at the end of high school before university.
We’d already finished learning all the course content — I’m studying math, economics, and politics — and were deep into revision when everything happened.
Schools first announced a short delay, just a few days, but it kept getting extended. Eventually, A-Level and IGCSE exams — two major international high school qualifications — were canceled nationwide.
That’s when things got complicated. Different exam boards had to figure out how to grade us without final exams.
If you’d asked me how I felt about it, I’d say I was pretty happy. I’d been working toward the exams, but there’s always that uncertainty about whether you’re fully ready.
School has now reopened
Outside of academics, most things, including soccer training, paused at first. My younger brother’s exams were canceled as well, so it wasn’t just my year affected. His piano lessons weren’t affected; the teacher continued coming to our house.
As for bigger events like graduation and prom, those are still expected to go ahead as planned.
At home, things were mostly normal. My dad, who works in media, continued going to work as usual. My mom, who’s in banking, had to stay home for a period because the financial district was considered a potential target. She’s only recently returned to work.
My friends’ families reacted differently. Most of them stayed in Dubai, though some left temporarily and came back later, not because of the conflict but because of the holidays they had planned before.
A few people left for good, but overall, most of my friendship circle stayed.
I also heard from friends and family abroad — checking in to see if we were okay. After the first day or so, once they realized things were stable, it went back to normal. Interestingly, most of them were more curious about my exams being canceled than anything else.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping to go to university in the UK — the University of Warwick, which sits in the center of England, about an hour-and-a-half train ride from London — if I meet the grades.
As for where I’ll work in the future, I’d definitely consider Dubai. It’s a very business-friendly place, plus it feels safe to me. That said, it will depend on job opportunities.
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