Jake McAllister is originally from Portstewart in Derry, but for more than seven years he has been living in Kuwait, where he now works as the principal of an international school.
"I've been here since 2018, and I've never felt unsafe in Kuwait at all", Mr McAllister said.
Last week, he was away for mid-term with his wife, Marlene, and his almost eight-month-old daughter, Elena, in Egypt.
But less than 24 hours after they returned home from their holiday, sirens heralded the threat of missile strikes.
"There was a really loud explosion, and then all the WhatsApp groups started going, and everyone was like, what's that, what's going on, did everyone hear that?" he said.
He said that the explosions have continued into this week.
"I think last night was a pretty sleepless night for a lot of people... from almost everyone I've spoken to, and from our experience as well, you know we were hearing the explosions, we're hearing the sirens going off in the middle of the night," Mr McAllister said.
"We're quite lucky in that our main experience has been the sound", he said, but he added that they had also "seen debris fall from the sky a couple of times".
"We can't say exactly what it is that's coming down... but from what we're hearing and seeing from people, it seems like the air defence (system) is doing its job," he said.
He said that while people were feeling "a bit tense" and "apprehensive", he was also witnessing great community spirit and with "everyone checking in on everyone else" to make sure they are doing alright.
He said there had also been a "humongous effort" from all the schools to switch to online learning "to ensure that students aren't missing out on their education".
When asked if he would consider leaving, Mr McAllister said it was "early days", and he hoped things would "settle down".
'We're keeping our eyes open'
Dr Paul O'Farrell is a lecturer in biochemistry in Bahrain.
He moved there 20 years ago.
As the conflict unfolds in the region, he said he feels "relatively safe" where he lives with his family, but said they remained "cautious".
"We're quite far removed from the American bases... but we do hear noises, a lot of the noises we are told are interceptions rather than bombs landing and patriot missiles taking off to intercept things before they get here", Dr O'Farrell said.
"We're in no rush to try and run away and escape to anywhere", but he said they were making "some plans" as to how they would evacuate, if they are told to.
Dr O'Farrell said his 17-year-old daughter is attending school remotely, and from today, the university where he works has also pivoted to remote lectures.
"So, we're keeping our eyes open and adjusting to the vagaries of what's happening at the moment," he said.
