I'm a single mom, and my son was in Dubai with his nanny. I spent $2,500 to get back to him.

• Nicky Lazou, a business owner based in Dubai, was in London for work when the Middle East crisis unfolded.
• Her five-year-old son was with his nanny when strikes hit parts of Dubai.
• She paid $2,500 to fly into Oman and cross the land border to the UAE to be with her son.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nicky Lazou, 39, a Dubai-based beauty business owner and a single mother to her five-year-old son. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I traveled from Dubai to London on Friday for a pop-up for my business, leaving my five-year-old son with our live-in nanny. Then the Middle East crisis unfolded, my return flight was canceled, and I scrambled to get back into the UAE.

I've been living in Dubai since 2022, having moved from the UK. I have a hair and beauty business in the UAE and England. I'm a single mother, and raising my son in Dubai felt right and safe — it was easy for me to get nanny care while running my business.

I traveled to London on Friday for a pop-up. My scheduled flight back would have been on Sunday at 10 p.m. after I finished work.

I don't like to leave my son for too long. When I'm away from him, my nervous system is always on edge. As soon as I heard about the crisis in the Middle East, I thought, "Please don't close the flights," but they did anyway.

While I was outside the UAE, I was getting notifications on my local phone telling residents to stay away from windows.

I live in an apartment with a lot of glass and windows, and in my head, I could just imagine my little boy in his bed near the window. Returning was not a preference; it was a responsibility.

My first thought was that I had to get back to him, no matter what.

Flying into Oman and crossing into the UAE by land

My travel agent recommended going through Saudi Arabia or driving from Oman.

I went to London Heathrow, and I boarded an Oman Air flight. The one-way flight, eight hours long, was £1,300, or about $1,730.

From the airport in Muscat, my agent found me a really kind driver who took me to the border for about $430 in under four hours. It was smooth, there was no traffic, and the views of the mountains on the way to the border from the airport were so beautiful and peaceful.

Then, from the UAE border to my home, I had a taxi driver I've worked with before pick me up. The two-hour-long journey cost me about $250.

Returning to family was a huge relief. Apart from my son, I have a nine-year-old Pomeranian at home, and he's been in my life for a long time. I also care deeply for my nanny; I would not just leave her behind.

I feel shocked because I never thought I would experience this in Dubai. Last night we could hear the planes at 5 a.m. I jumped out of bed with my son and just grabbed him because I could hear the noise.

But I have very strong faith, and think that the government is doing a really good job of protecting us. I feel safe here.

Do you have a story to share about getting back to the Middle East? Contact this reporter at abharade@businessinsider.com.