Somber moods and missed flights: A South African’s crazy week in Europe amid the Middle East war

2026-03-03 - 13:53

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is about technology and innovation, but there is a dark cloud hanging over Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong, the MWC is great and being a first-time attendee, I’m in tech heaven. The exhibition is filled with fantastic innovations that have made dreams a reality. Robot phones, humanoid robots as servants, AI chips in pins, pendants and rings are among the tech I witnessed at the congress. While thousands of people, including journalists, brand ambassadors, influencers and company executives attending the event, are excited about MWC, the question is: what happens after? Innovation and technology will go forward at breakneck speed, but will the thousands who attended the event make it back home? ALSO READ: I don’t hate Jews or Muslims When the news hit I had just arrived in Barcelona, after my trip to Madrid on Saturday when I turned on the hotel room TV to see visuals of bombings in the Middle East. I was shocked. What would this mean for the region? For the world? As I heard that flights were grounded, my emotions turned to concern for those I had been with at Huawei’s global launch just days earlier, who would now have to find a way home. Most of them were forced to extend their stay in Spain, accommodated in hostel-like dwellings with stretcher-like beds as they waited for news of available flights to take them home to their families. I miss my family. While video-calling has bridged the gap between us, there is nothing like being at home. The rest of the media group that was to join me on the trip had their flights cancelled. It was panic stations for them as a plethora of messages flooded the WhatsApp group. The group was flying Emirates Airlines and with Iranian missiles striking Dubai Airport and several Middle Eastern countries closing their airspaces, they, like others, were left stranded. Tecno executives furiously arranged alternate travel flights with Air France to Barcelona, arriving a day later and skewing the trip’s itinerary. When the group finally arrived, I heard a lot more than was discussed in the WhatsApp group. Massive queues from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris had resulted in missed flights. Airline staff were also, in many cases, unhelpful and oblivious. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Listen to Schindler’s List’s girl in the red coat describe her efforts to help Ukrainian refugees Flights to Makkah that never make it I know several people who were departing for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for Umrah who had their flights cancelled. A somber mood Barcelona may be thousands of kilometres away from Iran’s Tehran, but the mood on the streets was one of anxiety and concern for how it will change daily life. Energy prices skyrocketed in Europe after the war began and fuel prices are also vulnerable as the conflict escalates. Many have friends or family members in the Middle East, whether staying there or commuting, and worry about their safety. People try to carry on with life as best they can, working, exercising, walking, chatting in the park. All while the mood is sombre. Being able to speak and understand a little Portuguese, as my wife is a Portuguese citizen, I could make out some of the conversations around me. An elderly couple spoke frantically in Spanish about the attacks and the lives it has cost. Picking up a Spanish newspaper, the headline screamed of another possible stress and diplomatic crisis: “Spain says the US is not and will not be using jointly operated military bases on Spanish territory for operations against Iran.” My family and friends have been video-calling me almost every night to check up on me. While I appreciate the concern, my anxiety and panic have surged in the last few days. I am trying to remain calm. My flight to South Africa was also cancelled and I’m now flying Air France, which means I have to MacGyver my second bag and put it in my first bag while ensuring it stays below the 25kg mark. While life is moving steadily on in Barcelona, the mood is heavy and for the thousands attending MWC, while taking in the latest innovation and tech will be all-consuming, they, like me, will be worried about making it back to their families who are anxiously waiting for their return home. NOW READ: Fathers’ Day: After 17 years I finally get to spend the day with my son