Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes
The United Arab Emirates has sold itself to foreigners for years as a sunny, safe, tax-free oasis.
That peaceful image was shattered Saturday as Iranian weaponry rained down on Dubai, setting fire to a five-star resort, threatening the world’s tallest building, and killing one person and injuring seven others at the airport in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.
Iran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbors as it strikes back from the major attack by U.S. and Israeli forces, causing fear and chaos in a place that until Saturday was predictably calm.
“This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare, as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Persian Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. “There might be a way to be resilient, but there is no going back.”
Dubai bomb-by-bomb as influencers hide in carparks and tourists have no escape
As tensions continues to flare across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and beyond, those in Dubai are taking shelter as they brace themselves for further chaos to come
Mere days ago, Dubai was the site of glossy Instagram posts; now, the city is marked by scenes of utter devastation.
Yesterday afternoon, a ferocious blaze broke out near the entrance of the 5-star Fairmont The Palm hotel, amid as Iranian bombs rained down in retaliation for the US-Israel strikes, which resulted in the death of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, chaos has erupted at Dubai International Airport, which has reportedly been struck by a second blast today, mere hours after earlier strikes by Iran that left one person dead and seven injured.
Ultra wealthy paying $350K to flee Middle East on private jets as missiles pummel region
The super wealthy are paying as much as $350,000 to flee the Middle East on private jets as missiles continue pummel the region.
Rich elites living in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been frantically reaching out to private security companies for an exit route after the US and Israel targeted Iran in coordinated attacks over the weekend, Semafor reported.
Some are willing to cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars to be driven 10 hours to Saudi Arabia where they can then charter private planes to Europe.
More than 96,000 Britons stranded in the Gulf have registered for help as escalating conflict forces airport closures, with officials preparing for a possible mass evacuation through Saudi Arabia
More than 76,000 Brits stranded in the UAE and other Gulf hotspots have already signed up with the government for help, with numbers expected to soar into the hundreds of thousands. Most are holidaymakers or passing through, and with airspace still shut, officials are telling people to stay put for now.
However, plans are being drawn up for a huge evacuation through Saudi Arabia if flights remain grounded. The Foreign Office is reportedly in talks with all major airlines as it faces its biggest-ever operation to track and assist British nationals abroad – and the crisis is only just getting started.