Is Dubai’s glossy image under threat? Not everyone thinks so

16 minutes ago

ShareSave

Sameer Hashmi

ShareSave

AFP

Dubai has built an appeal for being a stable oasis in a turbulent region

Stephanie Baker had been celebrating her birthday with friends at a bar on Palm Jumeirah - Dubai’s iconic man-made palm-shaped island lined with luxury hotels and beach clubs.

But as the group stepped outside to head to another nearby venue, something unusual streaked across the night sky.

Moments later, debris from a drone struck the five-star Fairmont hotel - Baker and her friends were standing right across the street.

“We all were scared,” she says. “To see something like that was unexpected.”

Baker, a British real estate consultant who moved to the city a year ago, says she always viewed Dubai as one of the safest places in the region.

Yet after two weeks of missile and drone attacks linked to the Iran conflict, she says she has no plans to leave.

“If anything, the way the situation has been handled makes me feel more secure,” she says.

Stephanie Baker

Stephanie Baker, a British real estate consultant who moved to the city a year ago

Dubai is home to millions of expats like Baker from different countries, including 240,000 Britons. Emirati citizens make up only 10% of the population.

For decades, the city has cultivated an image of stability and safety in a volatile region. Its skyline of glass towers, tax-free salaries and reputation for personal security have helped it become the Middle East’s booming business and tourism hub - a place where people from across the world arrive hoping to build a better life.

Conflicts have reshaped much of the region in recent years, but Dubai has largely remained untouched. That image is now being tested.

According to United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities, since the start of Iran’s attacks, UAE air defences have dealt with 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,567 drones. Officials say that more than 90% were intercepted and destroyed.

But some debris has fallen across parts of Dubai, including major residential areas and close to the city’s airport. Images of fragments striking an upmarket tall residential building, a luxury hotel and the airport have circulated widely online.

To date, six people have been killed and 141 injured across the UAE, according to authorities in the country.

Planet Labs PBC via REUTERS

Debris from an intercepted missile hit the Jebel Ali Port

The BBC has spoken to more than 20 residents, some of whom have lived in Dubai for decades and others who arrived more recently. Most say they are shocked by the events of recent days. But nearly all say they have no plans to leave.

“This is the first time we are seeing something like this,” says Eti Bhasin, an Indian expat working in her family business - who has lived all her life in Dubai.

“Dubai has grown phenomenally into a massive city. But we have faith in the authorities. This is my home. We stand by it.”

Eti Bhasin

Eti Bhasin has lived all her life in Dubai

For some residents, the past two weeks have been worrying. Adam Callow, his wife and their two young sons moved to Dubai from the UK in 2024, drawn in part by the city’s reputation for safety.

The family slept in one room during the first few days of the war as the sound of bangs echoed around the city; the children were too afraid to sleep beside windows.

“The authorities are doing enough for us to stay and make us feel safe, but we also feel unsettled,” Callow says. “The concern is whether this becomes the new normal.”

The rise of Dubai, where I am based for work, from a small Gulf trading port to a global destination has been built on connectivity. Dubai International Airport - the world’s busiest for international passengers - handled nearly 90 million travellers last year.

Adam Callow and his family moved to Dubai two years ago

Thousands of flights have been cancelled since the conflict began, bringing one of the region’s busiest travel hubs to a halt.

In recent days, temporary operations have resumed, with Emirates operating a reduced flight schedule while working to restore full network operations.

Such disruption comes at a busy time of year for visitors, before the intense summer heat bears down, and the knock-on impact is clear.

The country is now seeing scores of flight and hotel cancellations from those who want to stay away. Rooms in some plush hotels are going for a fraction of their usual cost.

Getty Images

“Unfortunately, we are seeing cancellations all the way until May,” says Dr Naim Maadad, founder and chief executive of Gates Hospitality. He is an Australian expat and has been a Dubai resident for more than two decades.

“When the first quarter starts badly, the rest of the year becomes a race to catch up.”

Many would-be visitors are attracted to Dubai’s image of a luxurious lifestyle: influencers posting videos online of rooftop pools and supercars parked outside five-star hotels, and tourists sunbathing on private beaches.

But behind that image lies a different reality.

Dr Naim Maadad

Dr Naim Maadad, from Australia, has been a Dubai resident for more than two decades

Another side to Dubai

The city’s opportunities come with stark contrasts. While Dubai’s glossy image abounds online, many of the migrant workers who help power the economy here earn modest wages and live in shared accommodation on the outskirts of the city.

The UAE’s workforce is overwhelmingly foreign - South Asians alone account for more than half the city’s rapidly expanding population, often working in construction, logistics and delivery services.

For many, the war has changed little about daily life.

Hamza, a delivery driver from Pakistan, says orders increased in the first few days of the war as more people stayed indoors.

“There is some fear when we hear explosions or see debris falling,” he says. "But I cannot stop working.

“My family back home depends on me. I don’t have the luxury of staying home out of fear.”

Rights groups have long raised concerns about the treatment and living conditions of some low-paid workers in the Gulf, including issues around working conditions and employer sponsorship rules.

While most residents including Hamza tell me they intend to stay, a few who managed to find a flight have decided to leave.

AFP

One airline worker, who asked not to be named, tells me she flew back to Melbourne in Australia earlier this week.

“I was getting really anxious hearing constant explosions every day,” she says. “It felt safer to leave for now and come back once the situation stabilises.”

But, she adds, she still plans to return.

At a time when many Western countries are tightening immigration policies and debating the impact of migration, Dubai represents a different model.

The Emirate has positioned itself as a magnet for global talent and the wealthy, seeing an influx of millionaires since the pandemic. And for ambitious professionals from developing countries - whether an Indian engineer, Egyptian doctor or a Filipino nurse - securing visas to work can be a lot easier in Dubai than in Europe or North America, sometimes commanding higher salaries.

Getty Images

Investigations by international media and law-enforcement agencies have previously highlighted how some suspected organised-crime figures have been based in Dubai, though cooperation on extradition between the UAE and several countries has increased in recent years.

Can Brand Dubai endure?

With the city’s greatest appeal having always been its image as a stable oasis in a turbulent region, is this brand now forever threatened?

Christopher Davidson, a Middle East political economy expert who has written extensively about the UAE, believes the attacks may dent Dubai’s appeal in the short term.

“But the fundamentals - infrastructure, regulation, weather and geography - remain unchanged,” he says.

“In the long term its appeal will remain intact.”

Authorities have received praise from residents and businesses issuing daily updates about the attacks and sending regular mobile alerts warning of possible strikes.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has reassured residents the country will protect them, while warning that the UAE is “no easy prey” for those threatening its security.

NurPhoto/Getty Images

Dubai has built an economy driven by trade, tourism, real estate and financial services

Senior leaders have also made public appearances in Dubai, signalling that life continues.

However, public criticism of the government is uncommon in the UAE, where laws place restrictions on speech that is seen as undermining or criticising the state or its leadership.

Authorities have warned that sharing unverified footage of the conflict online could lead to heavy fines or imprisonment. On Thursday, a 60-year-old British man was charged in Dubai after allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.

After a few days of unusually quiet streets, traffic and crowds have returned to a normal pace.

Analysts say the long-term impact on Dubai and the UAE will depend on how the conflict unfolds. “A weakened Iran could enhance the UAE’s appeal even further,” says Davidson.

But if the regime survives, tensions with its Gulf neighbours may increase, an investment banker told me. “That’s a concern. If any of the banks or financial institutions get hit then that could impact the sentiment for businesses,” he says.

On Wednesday, the Iranian military threatened to target economic and banking interests linked to the US ‌and Israel in the region, after an Iranian bank was attacked. Many financial firms in Dubai then asked staff to evacuate their offices.

For now, most residents in Dubai remain cautious but hopeful. They highlight that the city has weathered crises before - from the global financial crash of 2008 to the pandemic in 2020 - and emerged stronger.

“Dubai always bounces back quickly,” says Maadad. “Resilience is part of the UAE’s DNA.”

More on this story

Britons should not take photos of strikes in UAE, embassy warns

Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?

‘It’s eerie’ - Dubai on edge as city comes under attack by Iran

Middle East

United Arab Emirates

Iran

Dubai