How the Vietnamese community in the Middle East is coping in the early days of conflict

Dozens of diners at his restaurant settled their bills and rushed for the exit. Duc shouted for his staff to evacuate, and they headed to the nearest metro station, which they considered the safest location nearby.

“After a few minutes, the streets were almost completely empty,” Duc, director of the Royal China restaurant in Dubai, the UAE, said.

About an hour later traffic slowly returned to main roads but side streets remained deserted. Duc and his staff then went back to the restaurant.

Dubai faced its first wave of attacks at noon on Saturday. Bomb sirens wailed throughout the city and black smoke was seen rising from several military sites. Duc’s restaurant is located near Dubai’s well-known landmarks, which compounded his concerns.

“Dubai’s iconic buildings such as Burj Al Arab and Fairmont The Palm were attacked,” he said.

At 11:55 a.m. on Saturday a loud blast woke Nguyen Ba Thai, 26, and six other Vietnamese workers from their midday nap in Juffair District, Manama City, Bahrain.

A missile struck a military base 100 meters from their apartment building. Shockwaves from the explosions caused the 30-story building to shake violently.

“It was more terrifying than any earthquake,” Thai said.

The seven of them grabbed their passports and left via the emergency staircase. Though the siren had sounded five minutes earlier, frequent drills in recent weeks had made them a bit casual. After exiting the building, they moved toward the beach to avoid falling debris from high-rise buildings.

By afternoon civilian areas came under attack. The police were throughout the city, using loudspeakers to instruct residents to evacuate.

Thai and his group took refuge in a shelter about a kilometer from the bombed area while waiting for updates.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Juffair District, Bahrain, was attacked by missiles at noon on Feb. 28, 2026. Photo courtesy of Thai

The conflict in the Middle East began on Saturday morning after the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran.

Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and suicide drones, targeting Israel and countries hosting U.S. bases like Jordan, the UAE and Bahrain.

Dubai International Airport, oil storage facilities in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain were among the sites hit.

Duc has worked in Dubai since 2018, and Thai has lived in Bahrain for three years. They said the two countries offered steady incomes and a peaceful environment until the conflict began.

Duc is considering returning permanently to Vietnam.

“The most important thing for me right now is to find a place without the constant threat of attack,” he said.

In Bahrain, Thai said his landlord demanded rent even as missiles were visible in the sky.

“We will pay when the fighting stops,” he said, adding that he was prepared to seek police intervention as the martial law currently in place does not allow residents to be forced onto the streets.

Thai’s group has discussed evacuation plans. They intend to wait until March 3, when the U.S. said the first phase of its offensive would end, and, if the situation does not improve, will make a final decision on March 10.

A residential area in Hoora District, Manama City, Bahrain, under attack on the night of Feb. 28, 2026. Photo courtesy of Thai

Airspace closures and security concerns have disrupted daily life and aviation services in neighboring countries.

In Jordan, Vu Hoai, 40, arrived at the airport to fly to Vietnam, but her flight was canceled shortly before departure.

In southern Israel, Tran Lam Que Huong, 22, of An Giang Province and six other Vietnamese interns have learned to live with the constant attacks. They head to shelters when sirens sound and resume work packaging agricultural products at a farm once the alerts end.

“There are four shelters that can hold hundreds of people at the farm. At our dormitory, there is also a shelter for 20,” Huong said.

Life under missile range of Vietnamese people in the Gulf region