For two days residents in Dubai have largely stayed indoors as missiles and drones struck the city — part of an Iran-launched regional attack in response to recent large-scale US and Israeli strikes against it.

Luxury hotels and Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest by passenger traffic — sustained damage.

RNG247 spoke with UAE residents and holidaymakers who described scenes far removed from the city's usual rhythm.

Resident Becky Williams said she saw about 15 missiles "launched from behind my house yesterday," referring to projectiles fired by UAE authorities to intercept incoming Iranian weapons. "You can hear the interceptions happening in the air." She added that her family were staying calm and trusted the UAE military to defend the airspace, believing it would "all blow over soon."

Iran's retaliatory strikes continued into Sunday.

On Palm Jumeirah, the five-star Fairmont The Palm hotel was hit by a large explosion. Debris from an intercepted drone caused a "minor fire" on the outer facade of the five-star Burj Al Arab hotel, officials said.

Another resident told RNG247: "What we've lived through over the past 24 hours is a fraction of what others have been living through in areas of conflict so it puts things in perspective."

Weekend plans for a Sunday hike were upended for Satya Jaganathan. "And here we are, sheltering in place," she said, adding her sister's family and pets had to take cover in their apartment after debris fell near Jebel Ali port. Authorities reported debris from an "aerial interception" sparked a fire at a berth in the port, which is the world's ninth busiest.

"It's still relatively calm as there are only loud noises every few hours, but it is eerie because this is not the Dubai we are used to," Jaganathan said.

Dubai International Airport was also damaged in what officials described as an "incident." Thousands of flights to and from the Middle East were grounded, producing one of the most serious global travel disruptions since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Judy Trotter, due to return to London on Saturday, arrived at the airport to find all flights canceled. "I've met people who were very upset about their travel plans, there were thousands of people in the airport, I met people who told me they were missing funerals," she said. Many passengers transiting through Dubai are now stranded; around 1,000 were accommodated at a hotel and warned to stay away from windows. "There is a lot of glass in the hotel which is worrying," Trotter added. "We have heard several missiles throughout the day."

British holidaymaker Kate Fischer from Buckinghamshire described her family as "very frightened." On Saturday evening she and her partner packed "a grab bag" while their children slept and "doused bathrobes and towels" in water in case they needed to flee a fire overnight. Sunday felt surreal, she said: "It's a very surreal experience being surrounded by everyone trying to enjoy their holiday and trying to entertain their children whilst we can see visible smoke from nearby areas that have been hit by drones or missiles."

Strictly Come Dancing competitor Vicky Pattison was among those sheltering in Dubai. Her outbound flight to Australia was canceled; she posted on Instagram saying: "We're thinking of everyone who is feeling unsettled and unsafe right now."