Sania Mirza, the former Indian tennis star, has returned to India after spending tense days in Dubai. Mirza, 39, resides in Dubai with her son; however, she decided to return to Hyderabad for Eid due to the ongoing uncertainty in the region following the escalation of tensions between Iran and the USA/Israel. Iran has been targeting some parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the war is showing no signs of slowing down. Speaking to NDTV, Mirza revealed that she decided to return once she heard fighter jets overhead.
She also stated that debris from an intercepted projectile had fallen close to her home in Al Barsha. “We heard fighter jets above our house and saw interceptions. There was debris that fell around 400-500 metres from where we live,” she told NDTV.
“I came last week. Honestly, Dubai is my second home. A few incidents occurred, and at that point, I thought it would be better to come back. We didn’t feel unsafe, but it did feel uncertain,” she added.
She said the decision to return to India was driven by the presence of a young child in her home. However, she was quick to say that she never directly felt unsafe in Dubai.
“You don’t want your child going through that. He was asking questions. It didn’t feel unsafe, but it did feel uncertain and unsettling,” she said.
It is worth noting that Mirza lives in Dubai for most of the year, and her son, Izhaan, also attends school there.
“School is supposed to start next week, but we’ll monitor the situation. I’m lucky that I can come back to Hyderabad and still have a home here with family,” she said.
“I hope things settle down soon,” she added.
Earlier, Bloomberg News reported that the key port of Fujairah in the UAE suspended oil loading.
Eid homecoming
The former Indian tennis star also revealed that returning to Hyderabad during Ramzan is a long-standing tradition.
“I come every Eid. We try to spend the last week of Ramzan in Hyderabad because Ramzan here has to be experienced. It’s always nice to be around family,” she said.
“My son loves coming to his grandparents because nobody says no to anything here. He’s travelled a lot already, so he adjusts anywhere,” she concluded.
