SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A DJ from San Diego was in Dubai on business when the historic rainstorm, which brought a year's worth of rain over 24 hours, immobilized the city.
Al Sharif Sadiq says the storm's power was unlike anything he or the Emiratis had ever seen.
Sadiq tells ABC 10News he was eating at an Egyptian restaurant in one of the city's older malls when the storm struck.
Sadiq decided to abandon the mall, since there wasn't anywhere to go inside, water was pouring in and the fire alarms kept going off.
Luckily for Sadiq, he wasn't alone: His fellow DJ friend, who is from Kenya, was by his side during the stressful experience. Sadiq's friend helped calm him down and prepare for the long journey ahead.
Because of the rain, transportation throughout the city came to a standstill. Sadiq says the roads were a mess, trains weren't running and many areas were inaccessible.
Sadiq says he and his DJ friend walked at least five miles to find a location where a taxi would actually pick them up.
During the trek, the duo came across a hotel, and they saw that as an opportunity to rest. The workers inside gave them some food, water, coffee and a place to sit for some much-needed reprieve. Sadiq says the generous hospitality from the Emiratis is one of the reasons why he loves traveling to the Middle East.
Sadiq says he plans to return to San Diego in June when the offseason typically begins for overseas DJs in the Middle East. In the meantime, he'll continue to play sets and perform in Dubai clubs.
Sadiq posted about his storm experience on his Instagram page.
