Arakan migrants working in the Middle East said they are living on high alert as the conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran escalates and begins to affect neighboring Gulf countries.
The war, which began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran, has already disrupted life in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Myanmar nationals in these countries are now carefully navigating daily life amid the growing tensions.
“The UAE intercepts so many missiles from Iran every day. We hear loud explosions in the sky, and some areas get hit by blasts. It’s not immediately life-threatening for us, but we have to stay alert all the time. The government sends real-time updates, which helps a bit with the anxiety,” said a young Arakan man working in Abu Dhabi.
In Israel, people are largely continuing their routines, though residents are instructed to head to bunkers whenever air raid sirens sound.
“Some people are still going to work, while others stay home because offices are closed. But the moment the sirens go off, everyone has to rush to the bunkers. That’s what we were told to do,” said an Arakan woman living in Israel.
The Arakan man in the UAE also stressed the importance of following local rules and warned about possible information blackouts.
“UAE can cut off information really fast, just like Myanmar. Official reports aren’t always completely accurate, and sometimes things on the ground aren’t reported at all. Right now, anyone caught spreading war-related news can get fined up to 200,000 AED (around 300 million MMK). Myanmar nationals really need to stay alert and follow the government’s rules,” he said.
The conflict ignited on February 28 when long-range missile strikes by the U.S. and Israel targeted Iran, prompting a series of retaliatory attacks. Tensions have continued to rise sharply since then.
Young people who left Myanmar’s armed conflicts to seek work abroad now face the unsettling reality of war again, but this time far from home, in the Middle East.
