Bollywood actress Malaika Arora’s 72-year-old mother, Joyce Arora, is currently stranded in Dubai after her scheduled return flight to Mumbai was canceled amid rising tensions in parts of the Middle East. The disruption follows Iran’s reported retaliatory attacks on several US allies in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, following US and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory on February 28. The situation has caused many flight operations across the region to be temporarily suspended and rescheduled.
Malaika Arora’s mother Joyce stuck in Dubai amid Middle East tension; Says, “I could see missiles”.
Joyce had gone to Dubai to celebrate her elder sister’s birthday. A few days later, his own birthday, which falls on March 2, was also celebrated with the family. She was scheduled to return to Mumbai on March 3, but received information that her flight had been canceled due to the ongoing conflict.
Speaking to ETimes, Joyce said, “I must say, I feel safe here. In fact, I could see with my own eyes the missiles being stopped in the sky. It was terrifying, but the Dubai Army is doing a fantastic job.” He said his daughters, Malaika and Amrita Arora, are in Mumbai and are in constant touch with him, calling several times a day to inquire about his well-being. With some flight operations gradually resuming, Joyce is hopeful that she will be able to return home soon.
Joyce is not the only Indian celebrity to be affected by travel disruption. Actress Esha Gupta was also stuck in Dubai during the tension, but returned to India on March 3. Meanwhile, former beauty queen and actor Lara Dutta recently shared a detailed video on social media, describing the tense atmosphere in the city amid the Israel-Iran conflict 2026.
In her video, Lara revealed that she has been in Dubai since the beginning of the conflict and was shooting in a studio on February 28 when the situation worsened. He mentioned witnessing the explosions and missile interception, as well as expressed gratitude to UAE authorities for making residents feel safe. Lara is currently in Dubai with her daughter, while her husband, former tennis champion Mahesh Bhupathi, is traveling for work.
