A New Zealander in Dubai feels abandoned by the Government amid escalating conflict and missile activity. Photo / Getty Images
By Penny Smith of RNZ
*Clarification: This story has been amended while further responses are sought.
A New Zealand citizen living in Dubai has described constant missile activity, shortages and a lack of clear information.
Speaking anonymously, the expat told RNZ that conditions on the ground were far worse than portrayed publicly.
“Everything is not normal. It’s absolutely not business as usual,” they said.
“We’re getting constant alerts on our phones to take shelter. You can hear missiles being fired and intercepted. From my balcony I can see drones and fighter jets.”
The New Zealander described waking to “waves of bombs” and ongoing air defence activity in residential areas.
They said essential services were under strain, with supermarkets facing shortages and rising prices and hospitals unable to admit patients for non-critical care.
“I took a friend to the emergency department and they needed surgery, but they were turned away because hospitals are saving beds due to the conflict.”
The resident also described a crackdown on documenting events, saying authorities had warned people not to take photos or videos under any circumstances.
“Even if it’s your own apartment, even if a drone flies into it, you can be arrested for taking a photo.”
They alleged spot checks were being carried out, with officials reportedly searching phones and detaining people found with images of incidents.
“There’s no real explanation anymore. It’s just: don’t do it, or you’ll be arrested.”
The resident described repeated failed attempts to contact New Zealand consular services during an emergency.
“I called the emergency number and it went to voicemail. I didn’t hear back for two days.”
Compounding the situation, the New Zealander said they lost access to their finances after a cyberattack coincided with a web service outage.
“My account was being drained and I couldn’t stop it. The banking systems were down. Even my bank manager said he couldn’t do anything.”
Despite reporting the cyberattack and theft, they said no assistance was provided.
“I contacted the consulate and got nothing. I’m sitting here with a drained account, waiting for my next payday.”
The resident also raised concerns about the lack of clarity around evacuation efforts.
They said New Zealanders were asked to register interest in evacuation but were not given details about timing, destinations, or costs.
“At one point we were told the flights would just drop us somewhere and we’d have to make our own way home,” they said.
“There was never a clear plan.”
They also questioned reports that evacuation flights were underutilised.
“The next thing we heard was that planes were flying home empty because there wasn’t enough interest. But people here are saying they were never properly offered a seat.”
Commercial flights remained an option, but the expat said prices were prohibitively high and conditions unpredictable.
“People are paying thousands for tickets, but then the airport shuts, or roads are blocked, and they can’t get there... and they don’t get refunds.”
Others were attempting to leave by road, despite legal and logistical barriers.
The New Zealander said what many expatriates wanted most was clear, direct guidance.
“I asked them, ‘Should we leave?’ And they wouldn’t say yes.
“If they had said, ‘Leave now, here’s the plan’, I would have gone immediately.”
Instead, they said many feel left to make life-or-death decisions with limited information.
MFAT said its regular updates to expats focused on information about commercial flights that were readily available, as well as some New Zealand government bus rides from places like Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
“Uptake of these options has been very low, with only a handful of New Zealanders wanting to travel,” said a spokesperson.
“In preparation, New Zealand also deployed two C130s and additional staff to the region as a contingency, in the scenario that commercial flights were shut down,” the spokesperson said. “This did not happen, however, and commercial flights have been and are still operating.”
The New Zealander said they felt others lacked sympathy for expats as they believed that those living in Dubai were wealthy or insulated from hardship.
“I’m not an influencer. I’m just trying to support my kids through university,” they said.
They said other New Zealanders in the region had shared similar concerns.
“Everyone feels the same. We feel like we haven’t been given enough information or support.”
MFAT said the government continued to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East.
“MFAT is operating at 24/7 consular response, and anyone who needs help can contact them anytime to discuss their situation.
“We do understand this is a stressful time for New Zealanders in the Middle East region,” the spokesperson said.
– RNZ