DUBAI, UAE – A Norwegian tourist witnessed a missile strike near a beach in Dubai on Saturday, as tensions escalate following surprise attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran. Jan Erik Sønderland, on holiday with his partner Karoline, described hearing explosions and seeing smoke fill the sky over the city.
Sønderland told Dagbladet he was on Palm Jumeirah beach when the first explosion occurred. “First came a powerful boom. Ten minutes later, a large, oblong object fell from the sky and hit the water,” he said. He estimated the impact point was less than a kilometer from shore.
Shortly after, a fire broke out at the Fairmont The Palm hotel, a luxury resort on the Palm Jumeirah. Reuters reported at 4:46 PM local time that emergency services were responding to an “incident” at the building, with four people injured. Video footage circulating on social media shows flames and smoke rising from the area surrounding the hotel. NRK has verified the authenticity of videos showing the hotel.
Sønderland reported hearing further explosions after the initial impact. “Just now we heard several more bangs. Now there are sirens and police cars in the streets. Things are happening all the time now,” he said. He and his partner moved to the hotel’s rooftop terrace, where they observed additional explosions and smoke clouds. “There were several of us up here looking up. Some ran down to hide – but there are still people in the pool. We asked the receptionist if they have a bomb shelter here – she didn’t recognize,” Sønderland stated.
The attacks on Iran were launched by Israel and the U.S. On Saturday morning, prompting retaliatory strikes by Iran against neighboring countries, according to reports. Dubai is approximately 1,200 kilometers from Tehran, a distance comparable to Oslo and Paris.
All air traffic in several Middle Eastern countries has been suspended, impacting travel plans for tourists like Sønderland and his partner, who were scheduled to return to Norway on Saturday night. Norwegian Air has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai, and other airlines have followed suit. “For now, we’ve been told not to go to the airport, so we’re prepared that we won’t be able to leave,” Sønderland said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) declared in January 2026 that it would not allow its airspace, territory, or territorial waters to be used for any hostile military actions against Iran, according to Reuters. However, the current situation demonstrates a rapidly evolving security landscape in the region.
Sønderland expressed a cautious outlook, stating, “I’m trying to stay calm and not create more fear than necessary. But we can feel it in our bodies. We trust that the authorities will tell us what to do, and we choose to believe that American targets are more interesting than tourist hotels.” He and his partner are hoping to return to Norway soon, citing family commitments and a desire to avoid further dangerous situations. “Rockets can land anywhere,” he added.
