Abu Dhabi Residents Receive Emergency Alerts, Advised To Take Shelter

Phones lit up as emergency alerts landed on Saturday afternoon amid explosions in Abu Dhabi, warning residents and expats of "potential missile threats".

"Seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building, and steer away from windows, doors and open areas," the alert, shared by a resident with NDTV, read.

The Ministry of Defense announced that one person of Asian nationality was killed as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was subjected to a "blatant attack by Iranian ballistic missiles", which was dealt with by the UAE air defenses with high efficiency and a number of missiles were successfully intercepted. Abu Dhabi said it "reserves its full right to respond" slamming the attacks as "a dangerous escalation".

The death occurred due to the falling of shrapnel in a residential area.

Follow US-Israel Attacks Iran LIVE Updates

The UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority urged residents to "immediately stay away from sites where shrapnel or suspicious objects have fallen". "Refrain from approaching or photographing them, in order to allow the competent authorities to carry out the necessary procedures," the authority advised.

The UAE closed its airspace "temporarily and partially" as an exceptional precautionary measure.

The Embassy of India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also issued an urgent advisory in view of the current regional situation, asking all Indian nationals in the United Arab Emirates to avoid unnecessary travel, take due care, remain vigilant, follow safety guidelines and advisories as and when issued by the UAE authorities and the Embassy.

"The Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai are continuing to function normally and will issue updates as necessary," it said, asking the Indian nationals in UAE to contact toll free and WhatsApp numbers in case of any emergency.

The Al Dhafra Air Base, situated south of UAE capital Abu Dhabi and shared with the UAE Air Force, is a critical US Air Force hub that has supported missions against the Islamic State, as well as reconnaissance deployments across the region, according to the US Air Force Central Command.

Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, while not a formal military base, is the US Navy's largest port of call in the Middle East that regularly hosts US aircraft carriers and other vessels.