US EditionIran Strikes Challenge Dubai's Safe-Haven Status Amid Regional Conflict
Iran’s missile strikes caused three deaths and 58 injuries, hitting key Dubai sites and raising concerns over its role as a secure hub for business and expatriates.
- On March 2, Iran's missiles struck Dubai International Airport, Jebel Ali Port and the Burj Al Arab, killing three and injuring 58, while the Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock exchanges closed on March 2 and 3.
- On Saturday, Iran launched missiles in response to US and Israeli strikes, leveraging its position across the Strait of Hormuz to threaten Gulf commerce.
- Firms reported that tens of thousands were stranded as airspaces largely closed and Dubai airport had to shut for days, while some companies planned layoffs and halted fundraising.
- Dubai's safe-haven image is in increasing doubt, with British model and influencer Petra Ecclestone saying, `We came to Dubai to feel safe, and we finally felt like we were settling in, and now this has happened.`
- Analysts warn that, despite Madhur Kakkar saying, 'Historically, markets like the UAE have demonstrated resilience during crises, including COVID,' a 70% probability exists that risk premia will persist long-term.
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14 Articles
Real Housewives of Dubai Star Planning to Flee Country Amid Iranian Strikes
Photo Credit: Yasmin Hussain/Bravo via Getty Images Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Brooks wants to leave Dubai amid the recent missile strikes from Iran. Following the retaliatory attacks, Caroline wants her family to get on a plane ASAP. The plan is to go stay with her parents in Boston until things settle down in the United Arab Emirates. However, her young son is terrified to fly through the war zone, so she’s attempting to calm his f…
They moved to Dubai in pursuit of the expat dream. They're not giving it up so easily.
A woman rides a bicycle along the beach in Dubai's Jumeirah area on March 2, 2026.Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty ImagesDubai has spent more than two decades marketing itself as a safe haven for expats.The sudden escalation in the Middle East has left some questioning their long-term plans.Others say they have no plans to walk away from the life they have built in the UAE. The thought of leaving Dubai fills Kiran Ali with dread.Ali, a Washington, DC…
'RHODubai's Caroline Brooks Plans to Flee Dubai Following Iranian Strikes
Caroline Brooks plans to get out of Dubai following the recent missile strikes from Iran ... TMZ has learned. "The Real Housewives of Dubai" star tells TMZ ... her family intends to book flights as soon as possible and head straight to Boston to…
How Dubai's safe-haven status is being put to the test
For decades, Dubai's sales pitch featured gleaming skylines, tax-free salaries, ease of doing business and something far more intangible: the unspoken promise that whatever was happening elsewhere in the Middle East, this city was different. The conflicts that destabilised the region would somehow stop at Dubai's borders.
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