The war between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance is shaking the foundations of Dubai — a city built on the promise of safety, wealth and endless sunshine. For decades the emirate sold itself as a haven for global elites, tourists and migrant workers. Now missile alerts, shuttered hotels and fleeing expatriates are puncturing the illusion that the Gulf’s most glamorous city sits above the region’s conflicts. Missiles over the luxury skyline The United Arab Emirates has absorbed more than two-thirds of Iranian strikes since the war began, according to analysts. Most projectiles have been intercepted, but some have hit sensitive targets including military facilities, industrial sites and Dubai International Airport. Attacks on major data centres even knocked out digital payments across the city for hours. One strike also hit the Fairmont The Palm on Dubai’s famous Palm Jumeirah island, shattering the sense of distance between the conflict and the emirate’s luxury enclaves. Foreign exodus begins Tens of thousands of tourists and expatriates have already left the city. British school headteacher John Trudinger said many of the more than 100 teachers he employs — mostly from the UK — have departed after weeks of missile warnings and air-raid alerts. “The shine has definitely been taken off,” he said. Major financial institutions including Citibank and Standard Chartered have begun evacuating staff amid mounting security fears. A tourism economy under threat Dubai’s prosperity relies heavily on tourism, which generates about $30bn annually. Unlike neighbouring emirates, it has limited oil wealth to cushion the shock. Analysts warn that prolonged conflict could cripple aviation, property investment and the expatriate-driven business ecosystem. For a city where more than 90% of residents are foreign nationals, confidence is everything — and it is now wavering. The workers who cannot leave While wealthy visitors and professionals board flights out, millions of migrant workers remain. Taxi drivers, labourers and delivery riders from countries such as India, Pakistan and Nepal often lack the means or permission to leave. Several of the conflict’s early victims in the UAE were migrant workers killed by missile debris. For families dependent on remittances, abandoning Dubai is not an option. A fragile illusion of normality Authorities have moved quickly to control panic, warning social media users not to spread alarm. Officials insist the explosions heard across the city are “the sound of safety” — air defences intercepting missiles. Yet on beaches and in empty malls, the contradiction is stark. Influencers pose for photos beside the sea while missile alerts flash across their phones. For a city that built its reputation on certainty and luxury, war has introduced something far more dangerous: doubt. ‘The shine has been taken off’: Dubai faces existential threat as foreigners flee conflict
