Many Dubai expats fled as the war in the Middle East escalated. Those that stayed say life is 'functioning but tense'

Tension hangs over Dubai. Social occasions and day-to-day activities are being interrupted by evacuation alerts and flashes in the sky as air defenses intercept drones, but much of life continues as normal, residents told CNBC. Iran has launched drones and missiles towards neighbouring countries in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes against it that began on Feb. 28. Tehran has targeted U.S. military bases in the region, as well as oil and gas production facilities and civilian infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates, along with many other countries, has mobilised air defenses as attacks have continued into the second week of the conflict and rushed to reassure citizens and international investors, whom the country has been courting for years. But Dubai Police has warned citizens that "photographing or sharing security or critical sites, or reposting unreliable information may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability." A total of 21 people have been charged in connection with social media posts about Iranian strikes, according to Detained In Dubai, which works to support people caught out by stringent local laws. While many expatriates have scrambled to leave the region after the war broke out, others have elected to stay put, and some shared their experiences with CNBC. watch now VIDEO 5:09 05:09 Dubai wealth flight to safety: Here's what to know Squawk Box Reputation Since the war began, Dubai's five-star Fairmont The Palm Hotel has been struck and debris from a downed Iranian drone caused a fire at the Burj Al Arab hotel. Dubai's airport was damaged by a missile strike, and on Tuesday, the U.S. Consulate in Dubai was hit by a suspected drone strike that caused a fire nearby. Attacks on AWS data centers in the country caused outages in banking, payments, enterprise and consumer services last week. "Living in Dubai right now is a strange mix of normality and quiet tension," Glen Pawson, managing partner of marketing agency M...