A British mother has revealed the terrifying ordeal of being stranded in Dubai with her family as the Iran conflict intensifies, describing how their dream holiday turned into a nightmare when bombs began exploding around them.
Holiday Turned Horror in Dubai
Salli-J Oliver, 46, traveled to the United Arab Emirates last week with her partner Kevin Pell, 39, and their children Jaden and Reece, aged 18 and 15. They were accompanied by her 30-year-old friend Amy, expecting a relaxing family vacation in the popular destination.
The beauty and skincare TikTok influencer explained that the family had always "dreamed" of visiting the UAE and were even considering relocating there next year. However, their plans have been completely upended as the Middle East descends into conflict.
Beach Day Interrupted by Explosions
The family's terrifying experience began on Saturday while they were enjoying time at the famous JBR Beach. "We were there not even 24 hours and bombs started going off," Salli recounted.
She described how family members back in Britain had been frantically calling to warn them about the developing situation. "I went, 'I'm fine Mum, I've got a coconut drink in my hand, I'm fine.' And then she was like, 'But this is what's going on.' We were oblivious. I think everybody on the beach was..."
The reality struck when they left the beach area. "The building where we got picked up from in the taxi got attacked. So if we were 20 minutes later getting picked up in that taxi, that would have been us, or we would have been in the middle of that," she explained.
Hotel Evacuation and Trauma
Later at their hotel, emergency sirens blared on their mobile phones, forcing the family into a terrifying evacuation down the hotel stairwells. "We had to run down the stairs, and there was babies and women screaming and crying – it was awful," Salli recalled.
"Everyone was stood in the lobby, and there was women with babies. There was a little baby there like one year old, as old as my grandson, so that hit home. Everybody was traumatised."
Her teenage sons were left completely "distraught" when the alarms first sounded, creating a state of shock as everyone rushed to the building's basement. "We've all snapped at each other, we've been crying," she said, noting that her boys and fiancé have been trying to support her and her friend who suffers from severe anxiety.
Sleeping Arrangements in Crisis
As they attempted to get some rest on Saturday night, the family faced a blitz-like scene that saw all five of them huddled into Salli-J's room because it was furthest from the exposed side of the hotel.
"I made them come into my room, and I made my friend come from her room, and there was five adults laid in one bed," she described of their makeshift sleeping arrangements.
Financial and Safety Concerns Mount
The travel company she booked with, Love Holidays, informed her they won't be able to help with accommodation costs if she cannot get home. Additionally, her travel insurance won't provide coverage because the situation is classified as terrorism and war.
This leaves the mother-of-four facing an eye-watering bill of £2,000 per week to stay at their hotel if they cannot return home before their scheduled Thursday departure.
Communication Breakdown with Travel Company
Salli described Love Holidays' handling of the situation as "absolutely shocking," claiming that a customer service agent even told her fiancé "enjoy the rest of your day" after he explained his fears for his family's safety.
"My partner was over a hundred places back in a waiting list because obviously it was under his name that we booked it. When we eventually got through to them, which was hours and hours later, they said basically they're taking no accountability for it," she explained.
"They also said to my partner at the end of the online chat, 'Enjoy the rest of your day.' We were like, really? We're in a bomb zone right now."
Desperate to Return Home
With flights grounded and no clear way out of the UAE, the family is desperate for a route back to Britain. "We're just waiting now on flights to try and get home," she said. "The kids just said to me this morning, 'I just want to go home now.'"
She described the terrifying moment when a bomb detonated nearby: "Yesterday when that bomb went off and we went outside it sounded like it was literally the next street down, the whole hotel shook, it was awful."
Future Plans in Jeopardy
Salli now fears that her and Kevin's planned Cyprus wedding this summer could also be disrupted by the ongoing conflict, adding another layer of uncertainty to their already stressful situation.
Broader Evacuation Efforts
The British government is understood to be working on plans for the potential evacuation of more than 100,000 British nationals from the Middle East. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed that 102,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the region, with approximately 300,000 citizens currently in Gulf countries targeted by Iran.
British nationals are being advised to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the Foreign Office's travel advice as the situation continues to develop.
