Malaysians living in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were shocked and surprised by Iran's attacks on Gulf countries in response to Israel and the United States' actions.
For Shariza Anas, a Malaysian citizen living in Doha with her husband and daughter, the attack felt very close to home, sparking worry and unease.
The roughly 50-year-old Shariza said that the missiles seemed to fly right over residential areas.
She told Bernama via WhatsApp: “The target was Al Udeid Air Base (about an hour's drive from where we live), but the missiles flew directly over our heads. Some of them were intercepted right above us, and pieces of debris landed in our neighborhood this morning.”
Shariza stated that so far, she and her family are safe. They took shelter in their living room and kept up with the latest developments via TV and the internet.
She said that despite the attack, she remained relatively calm, revealing this was the third time she had witnessed such incidents in Doha. In June 2025, Iran had previously launched a missile attack on the US base at Al Udeid Air Base.
Shariza said she did not expect the situation to deteriorate and was worried about her friends and family in Qatar and the UAE, especially her cousin who just started working in Abu Dhabi, one of the attack targets.
She said: “Things are very tense there (in Abu Dhabi) because it's very close to the US air base.” She added that her cousin had already contacted her. As of this news report, Bernama had tried to contact Shariza's cousin but received no response.
Residents in the UAE told Bernama that they witnessed the interception of missiles and were deeply shocked.
Asma Zain, the Pakistani founder and Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Pulse, who lives and works in the UAE, said she had always considered the UAE a safe place.
In a WhatsApp interview, she said: “The situation is extremely worrying. Nothing like this has ever happened before. People are in a state of panic.”
Asma said that even though she lives in Sharjah, she could still see and hear the events unfolding in Dubai.
She said: “There were loud explosions at night, likely from missiles being intercepted. This morning, I saw black smoke right in front of my apartment building.”
According to Asma, community group chats were filled with tips for emergency preparedness, including advice on soothing children, preparing essential medical supplies, charging electronic devices, and organizing necessities in case evacuation became necessary.
She said that although authorities were constantly updating the public on the current situation, they did not offer practical or useful safety guidance.
Asma stated: “The only advice they gave was to find the nearest and safest shelter, but they didn't specify the locations.” She hopes the situation will return to calm soon.
After the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday (March 2), Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East, further escalating tensions in the region.
The roughly 50-year-old Shariza said that the missiles seemed to fly right over residential areas.
She told Bernama via WhatsApp: “The target was Al Udeid Air Base (about an hour's drive from where we live), but the missiles flew directly over our heads. Some of them were intercepted right above us, and pieces of debris landed in our neighborhood this morning.”
Shariza stated that so far, she and her family are safe. They took shelter in their living room and kept up with the latest developments via TV and the internet.
She said that despite the attack, she remained relatively calm, revealing this was the third time she had witnessed such incidents in Doha. In June 2025, Iran had previously launched a missile attack on the US base at Al Udeid Air Base.
Shariza said she did not expect the situation to deteriorate and was worried about her friends and family in Qatar and the UAE, especially her cousin who just started working in Abu Dhabi, one of the attack targets.
She said: “Things are very tense there (in Abu Dhabi) because it's very close to the US air base.” She added that her cousin had already contacted her. As of this news report, Bernama had tried to contact Shariza's cousin but received no response.
Residents in the UAE told Bernama that they witnessed the interception of missiles and were deeply shocked.
Asma Zain, the Pakistani founder and Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Pulse, who lives and works in the UAE, said she had always considered the UAE a safe place.
In a WhatsApp interview, she said: “The situation is extremely worrying. Nothing like this has ever happened before. People are in a state of panic.”
Asma said that even though she lives in Sharjah, she could still see and hear the events unfolding in Dubai.
She said: “There were loud explosions at night, likely from missiles being intercepted. This morning, I saw black smoke right in front of my apartment building.”
According to Asma, community group chats were filled with tips for emergency preparedness, including advice on soothing children, preparing essential medical supplies, charging electronic devices, and organizing necessities in case evacuation became necessary.
She said that although authorities were constantly updating the public on the current situation, they did not offer practical or useful safety guidance.
Asma stated: “The only advice they gave was to find the nearest and safest shelter, but they didn't specify the locations.” She hopes the situation will return to calm soon.
After the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday (March 2), Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East, further escalating tensions in the region.