Choosing to stay: Irish woman remains in Dubai as conflict continues 

By Rosa Boran 

When Rebecca Bartlett and her husband flew to Dubai in late February, she had no idea that Iran would begin airstrikes on the United Arab Emirates. 

Having travelled there to visit her family, she never imagined her trip would take such an unexpected turn.

“Plans were made several months ago to celebrate three significant family birthdays in early March, so our arrival on 28 February was nothing out of the ordinary,” she said.

“Within eight hours of our arrival there were several missile alerts and loud booms within the Dubai area. By the end of that following day we knew to associate these with the low flying military aircraft seeking out and destroying drones and airborne missiles.”

It was a familiar and unsettling sound for both Rebecca and her husband who lived in Belfast through the 1970’s.

“We had recognised immediately that what we were hearing were explosions. Our first instinct, of course, was to know that all members of the two families we have here in Dubai were safe.” 

“Whatever might happen, we needed to be with them”

When asked why they decided to stay despite the danger, Rebecca said simply that their family were there and they didn’t want to leave them.  

“Later when flights were suspended, words like evacuation and emergency response were being used in the media,” she said.

The first waves of panic and interviews with British and Irish holiday makers, following events like the strike on the Fairmont Hotel, increased the levels of stress and sense of anxiety. 

“But we were with our own children and our grandchildren, this was where we were meant to be, whatever might happen, we needed to be with them, to understand exactly what was happening within this ever-expanding theatre of war and what the response within the UAE would be to protect them,” Rebecca said.

Her frustration and unease at the impact of this war is clear.

“This has been for me, a stark reminder of the impact yet again of unscrupulous decisions made by men in power on the lives of whole generations of children, young people, and their parents.”

I long to send my own text. “Just boarded will be home soon, Please God.”

Rebecca described the uncertainty of the day-to-day situation in Dubai.

“There has been no direct communication following my submission of the registration form I completed for the Department of Foreign Affairs,” she said. “Although our son and his wife, who have a two-year-old child, were offered, at very short notice, two seats for mother and child on a flight out of Abu Dhabi.

Travel guidance is as usual available on the Government website but really the best guidance is coming from the Emirates Airline with whom we are booked and more immediately from the Dubai authorities themselves.”

“We get alerts directly to our phones to take shelter if there are suspected drone or missile threats. Iran continues to target the UAE and especially the ports and oil facilities and even the airport,” Rebecca explained.

Her thoughts turned to Ireland and the life she hopes to resume. She spoke of her connection to Galway, where she lived for many years.  

“Inevitably we will have to go home. I miss Ireland.” she said. “My husband and I live in Dublin but we do our best to spend as much time as possible on beautiful Tawin Island.

At night, as the low-flying fighter aircraft disturb our sleep, I do think of the tranquility of that place and the warmth of our small community there. Galway was our home for nearly twenty years. We will always feel the need to head west again.”

Rebecca said they miss their Dublin friends who are constantly in touch and whose chatty text conversations are a welcome distraction.

“I long to send my own text. “Just boarded will be home soon, Please God.”  Just not yet.”