Hafsa Adil
Life in
the Gulf state has swiftly returned to normality after a night of fear and
uncertainty.
Doha, Qatar – After a night of
fear and uncertainty following Iran’s attacks on the United States military
base in Qatar, life in the Gulf state has swiftly returned to normality.
Iran fired 19 missiles at the
US’s Al Udeid airbase on Monday. The Qatari defence forces intercepted 18,
Ministry of Interior officials confirmed in the hours after the attack.
The base is located 35 kilometres
(21 miles) from Doha, but the incoming barrage of missiles flew over the
capital, which had become gripped with tension.
In the preceding hours, the US
and Britain had advised their citizens to shelter in place.
Qatar shut its airspace and
announced that schools would be closed on Tuesday, while many were advised to
work from home.
However, 12 hours after the
attack, the roads in and around Doha have a steady flow of traffic and most
residents have shrugged off the fear they experienced the night before.
Surprise holiday
“We panicked for a total of five
minutes as the windows shook and loud booms were heard, but we knew we’re in
safe hands here in Qatar, so the fear was short-lived,” Ruqayyah Muhammad, a
British resident of Qatar, told Al Jazeera at a shopping mall.
“As soon as we were informed of
the school closure, we planned a family day out to enjoy the unexpected time
off,” she said, while pointing at her three children waiting to enter an indoor
playground.
“If we had any apprehension or
safety concerns, we wouldn’t have brought our children out.”
Given the unexpected holiday for
schools and the majority of the country’s workforce staying at home, main roads
in the city did not experience the usual morning rush-hour traffic.
Instead, residents headed out
into the city’s shopping malls and recreational facilities.
Some, like Mubarak al-Kaabi, used
the opportunity to run some errands.
The 56-year-old said he and his
compatriots have “full faith” in the state leadership and armed forces.
Al-Kaabi was attending a wedding
at a functions hall when the missile attacks began.
“All but 20 or 25 wedding guests
rushed out of the venue but the hosts did not postpone the ceremony because we
knew it would all be OK,” al-Kaabi said while shopping at one of the most
popular malls in the city.
“We are relaxed and going about
our day as usual today.”
‘Missiles in the sky’
For those visiting the country
from abroad, the unusual situation stirred anxiety.
Zara Shamim, a US citizen,
arrived in Qatar on Friday to visit her family but found herself in an
unforeseen situation.
“In hindsight, it was scary in
the moment, but now that I have seen the public going about their lives as
usual and just another day off, I feel a little calmer,” she said.
The 18-year-old high school
graduate said she had found herself reflecting on the ongoing conflicts around
the world after “seeing missiles in the sky for the first time”.
“As an American, I have seen
fear-mongering on social media and it has escalated further since the US
attacked Iran,” she said.
“While I’m not concerned about my
safety in Qatar, I do feel some uncertainty about the overall situation in the
world.”
Buried in memories
Elsewhere in the city, it’s back
to business as usual but with an added layer of caution.
Bushra Ali, who took her children
to the cinema, was intrigued to hear the emergency exit procedure being
announced in the cinema before the film began.
“They told us not to panic and
how to exit the cinema should the alarm go off, but then the movie began and
everyone settled back in,” she said with a chuckle.
“It was an amusing scene when
people began looking around, it’s something we’re not used to experiencing in
Qatar.”
With the Interior Ministry’s
reassuring messaging in the hours after the attack and news of an imminent
ceasefire, Qatar and its residents have found themselves falling back into the
rhythm of everyday life.
Schools will reopen on Wednesday,
offering children who missed their exams on Tuesday to – unfortunately for them
– sit the tests after a day’s break.
Expatriate workers and families
will be able to head home for their summer holidays after Hamad International
Airport announced flights were gradually returning to their normal schedule.
For the small Gulf nation, home
to about three million people, Monday night’s attacks will soon be buried in
their memories.
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