Right about the time the doggy doo-doo was hitting the fan, I was at FL330 headed east, about 50 south of AUH deviating around the wx, and it looked very exciting from my vantage point..had been at home in fantasy island around 1300hrs lcl when it got so dark I had to turn the lights on in my home to read..and witnessed some of the biggest coldest raindrops I have ever seen in my decade-plus here in the gulf..so yes it was exciting..glad i was not stopping in the uae..heard several high-pitched voiced flightcrews attempting to do just that..bet there was a run on knickers that night at the city centre