GB News producer in Dubai lockdown blasts ‘lack of communication’ as she issues urgent plea amid Iran strikes

Landing in the Emirates just yesterday morning shortly after the first Iranian missile hit Abu Dhabi, she told GB News: "They grounded the planes. We were not informed [of the strikes]. We were not told.

"I had no internet access, so I didn't have a clue what was going on at the time. It wasn't until my connecting flight was due that we were told that flights are all cancelled."

"Emirates' initial handling of this situation was terrible," she fumed. "There were elderly people with mobility issues. There were families with children from all over the world, and no one was being informed of what to do where their flights would be.

"There was no access to medication, in the most difficult circumstances. They were not mobile, not able to move from one gate to another to get any sort of information about what they're going to do.

"Then there was a major evacuation plan. We were loaded into coaches and told that the airline is going to be taking us to hotels to stay to, and we were put into coaches."

Having been taken to accommodation, the hotel's staff claimed they had not been informed of their arrival by the airline - but the guests had to pay to stay.

She told the channel: "People were in tears. Babies were hungry. No one had had anything beyond breakfast.

"It was late in the afternoon. Everyone just decided collectively to return to the airport and speak to someone. We need answers."

However, at the airport, Ms Sadiq said all the supervisors had "disappeared", leaving those travelling stranded with no access to information.

There were people "in terrible situations", with individuals suffering heart conditions and diabetes all requiring something to eat.

"They needed medication and they could not even walk. And there was not a wheelchair around. It was the most terrifying six hours in Dubai International Airport," she told GB News.

Eventually, people refused to leave the coaches which directed and redirected people to different airports around Dubai over the course of three hours.

That afternoon, luxury five-star hotel chain Fairmont The Palm erupted in flames after debris fell from an intercepted drone overhead.

A few hours later, several people were injured after Iran missiles targeted Dubai International Airport - the busiest airport in the world.

"We made it in the nick of time, but we did actually leave," the Briton added. "The [airline] did eventually pull their socks up and they put us into nice hotels, which is, if I had ordinarily been staying in this hotel, I'd be over the moon.

"But I cannot wait to get out there and go back home. It is really stressful. And the worst thing is the lack of communication."

Last night at around 1am, Ms Sadiq explained how she bumped into people running down the corridor screaming - while she simply intended to head out for a "breath of fresh air".

She told the People's Channel: "There were children in their pyjamas running down the corridors, and a gentleman came up to me. He said, 'did you get the message'? And I said, 'what message'?"

The man went on to explain to Ms Sadiq he had received a warning message on his phone to vacate the hotel as they were "under attack".

"So what I did is, I ran downstairs, I just grabbed as many people as I could, and I went to the lobby and we came outside and I said asked what's going on and where we are taking shelter," the Briton said.

Ms Sadiq explained she was told the Emirates Towers, where she was staying, was owned by a mayor in the UAE.

"When the evacuation was in process at the hotel yesterday, I was filming because I wanted to send some footage back," she said, at which point, "all sorts of communications" began to shut down.

"We had no means of communicating with anyone anywhere. I obviously have a local UK network provider. I don't have a Dubai network, so I wasn't able to contact anyone.

"I wasn't able to contact my family back home in London and tell them that I'm okay," she added, tearfully.

"There was no access to internet and I was not able to make any sort of communication with anyone and I wanted to send videos across to you of when this all kicked off."

While speaking to GB News, an individual could be heard trying to move Ms Sadiq on, which host Anne Diamond questioned.

The journalist explained: "The Emiratis do not like people making any sort of videos around. But it's my job. It's my profession. I'm going to keep sending you videos.

"I'm going to get all the content across because the power of voice and the power of picture clears a lot of things. And I think you should all be able to see what's going on out there."

Currently, hundreds of flights in and out of the Middle East have been cancelled due to the barrage of rockets being thrown across the airspace.

The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) has now issued official advice against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, urging Britons to shelter, avoid travel and follow instructions from local authorities.

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