Stuck in Dubai, trying to get home for my son's first birthday

Cody Greene, 36, from Tampa arrived in Dubai on Friday for a weeklong work trip. He was scheduled to attend a conference midweek and had planned to fly home in time for his son's first birthday the following weekend. On Saturday he woke to news of a US strike and assumed Dubai would not be involved.

His wife had asked him to buy a gold pendant with their son's initials, so he went to a mall, but social media in the cab showed Iran attacking nearby Abu Dhabi and his anxiety spiked. He bought the necklace quickly and returned to his hotel to find other people seeming unconcerned.

Back at the hotel he went to the beer garden, took a selfie with the Burj Khalifa in view and then saw what looked like a shooting star followed by a small explosion — later realizing it was a drone being intercepted. The hotel ordered everyone to stay inside and his phone began sending emergency alerts; told to stay away from windows, he sheltered in his bathroom for about an hour.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai

cody greene, dubai, abu dhabi, iran, us strike, drone interception, burj khalifa, emergency alerts, gold pendant, first birthday