- Esha Gupta was stranded in Abu Dhabi after a US-Israel military operation on Iran on February 28
- Abu Dhabi airport closed abruptly, causing chaos and uncertainty among stranded passengers
- UAE authorities provided cash, food, and hotel accommodations to all stranded passengers promptly
Actor Esha Gupta, who was stuck in Abu Dhabi after the US and Israel launched a military operation on Iran on February 28, is back home safe. The Jannat 2 actress shared a detailed note on Instagram, recounting vivid details of the harrowing hours in Abu Dhabi.
Esha began her note with these words: "Back home. Thank you all for your prayers and wishes. It was very tough to be in the situation we all faced. Truly God's blessing to be safe!
"It started when I was at the airport on the 28th (Saturday). By 1 p.m., the airport was closed, chaos all around as none of us knew what had happened. Then the news started coming of the missile attack, and no one knew what the next minute held for us. Strangers consoling each other, all calling their families back home."
Praising the promptness of the Abu Dhabi airport authorities, who didn't create a 'scene' in the hour of distress, Esha wrote: "Here, I would like to mention that what I saw was the strength of a country—the UAE. We were at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
"The ground staff and airport security immediately sprang into action and stayed calm throughout, even though we were all in this situation together. I hadn't checked in myself by then, so I took a turn and left for my hotel in Abu Dhabi."
Esha shared stories she heard from people she met at the hotel later.
"First, they gave all the passengers cash for food at the airport.
"Of course, everyone had to wait to get their luggage and for the authorities to sort things out.
"But after a few hours, each and every passenger had to form a queue, and they were all given accommodation at available hotels in Abu Dhabi.
"By 9 p.m. that night, they had buses ready for transfers to different hotels across the city and island. The government, before it hit the media, had ordered all the hotels to provide stay and food for the stranded passengers.
"Again, this didn't mean they had strangers stuck in rooms; they made sure only families or friends were together."
"We all were getting notification alerts on our phones from the UAE's Ministry of Interior (MOI) to seek shelter. We also received reassurance alerts when the situation seemed calm.
"The hotel management I saw—in the same clothes as the night before—were still working, still active, taking care of everything, answering questions they were unaware of as well, to the best of their ability. The delivery personnel (Careem) were still out there delivering.
"There was no shortage of any service anywhere. The lobby was full of people, including us, due to the security alert—scared, but no chaos. The hotel security kept reassuring everyone.
"Not once did we see the people, all scared internally, create stress; we were all in this together," Esha added.
"All this shows just the backbone of a country and its strength—they took action when needed, no blaming anyone, just strong decisions. Thank you to everyone who helped and is helping people of the world get back home. Your country is truly special," Esha wrote.
She thanked the Indian and UAE governments for working in solidarity in the hour of need.
On Sunday, Esha Gupta shared on Instagram that she was safe amid fresh attacks that morning.
Calling the situation scary and tough, Esha wrote: "To everyone checking in and messaging, I'm sorry for not replying. We are okay, we are safe! Times are scary, very tough. God is there to protect us."
Esha Gupta is known for films like Rustom, Baadshaho, Total Dhamaal, and Commando 2.
