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Thu, Jan 15, 2026 | Rajab 26, 1447 | Fajr 05:45 | DXB 
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'No one wants war': Indian, Pakistani expats in UAE stay up all night as tensions escalate
"We have seen this kind of thing before, but now I have kids, and the fear hits differently," said one
Mansoor Khan, a Pakistani expat from Mirpur in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, spent the night on his phone, his eyes glued to the news and his ears listening for calls from relatives in his hometown and other places.
“I couldn’t sleep. I was looking through news websites and videos every few minutes just to see if my family was okay. We live in a peaceful area, but when missiles are flying, nothing feels safe,” he said.
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Mansoor works in a car rental company in Dubai and has lived in the UAE for eight years — but his heart is back home.
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As soon as he heard that India had fired missiles and Pakistan had responded with airstrikes, he went into panic mode.
“I am not interested in politics or who is right or wrong. I just want everyone to be safe. I want my Indian friends to be safe too. War benefits no one.”
India attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday, targeting 'terrorist infrastructure'. At time of publishing, eight civilians — including at least one child — were killed in the strikes, while 35 were reported injured.
Pakistan has called the attack an 'act of war' and promised it won't 'take long to settle the score'. The strikes come as India blamed its neighbour for the violence in Pahalgam last month in which 26 tourists were killed. Pakistan has denied responsibility.
News of military strikes between India and Pakistan started circulating early on Wednesday morning. By 1am, social media was flooded with photos, updates, and messages of concern.
Many expats from both sides of the border stayed up all night, texting family and friends or just scrolling. Several flights from Pakistan to Dubai were either cancelled or delayed for hours on Tuesday, increasing the sense of anxiety that expat communities in the UAE were feeling.
Rameela Ahmed, a Pakistani mother of two who lives in Sharjah, said she was crying herself to sleep.
“We had our dinner and family time and slept around 10.30pm. When my husband got up to drink water, he saw a notification on a news app of a military strike between the two countries. I just kept checking on my parents in Lahore. We have seen this kind of thing before, but now I have kids, and the fear hits differently,” she said.
“Even my Indian neighbour came over to check in on us. We were both shaken,” she added.
Fears of war
The fear of an all-out war is what’s making many people from both sides of the border nervous. Amardeep Singh, a finance professional from Amritsar, said he stayed up till dawn.
“I was supposed to sleep early because I have a meeting today, but how can I? We don’t know what’s going to happen next,” he said.
The Indian expat has been working in Dubai for over 12 years. He believes that dialogue is the only way forward.
“We may have different governments, different histories, but people on both sides are the same. No one wants war. Everyone just wants peace, safety, and a normal life. I have many good Pakistani friends here and we all are praying that this stops soon.”
Of all the expats Khaleej Times spoke to, the overwhelming sentiment was clear: neither side wanted conflict.
“We have lived as neighbours here in the UAE for decades,” said Singh. “We celebrate Eid together, work in the same companies, and our kids go to school together. No one here wants war.”
SM Ayaz Zakir
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.
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