Meant to be moving to Dubai in 4 weeks

The only 2 aspects of your post that are unreasonable are (i) the fact that you are only starting to question things (rather than ruling it out entirely) and (ii) the fact you did not realise how close to Iran it was. I totally understand that geography is not everyone’s strength, but surely if you are considering relocating to a different country you would educate yourself about where in the world it is?

I am not saying this to be unkind. But I do think it’s so important that people (and I am really focussing on women here) are not passive observers in their own lives. Moving abroad is a big thing. Even more so if you have children who are dependent upon you for their safety and security. It’s so vital to take ownership of your decisions and that can only happen through being fully informed.

In answer to your primary question - in my view the only reasonable thing to do is to cancel the move.

there is obviously crime. Otherwise who is living in their prisons?!? 🤣 it’s just common sense

I knew it was in middle east Gulf and obviously Iran is in that area too but I hadn't studied the map in great detail until today.

The problem is Dubai and parts of the middle east have been really glamorised now so everyone wants to move there. Then something like this happens and you get a reality check

Dh going to speak to his work tomorrow. I'm sure they wouldn't send him if it escalates

Even without the current situation it would always be a risky move due its location and the history of Middle East conflicts. I couldn’t think of anything worse than living there even before all of this but know people who love it there.

There is a reason they pay westerners a fortune to go there. If something seems too good to be true it usually is.
And "the lifestyle" is achieved by expoliting slave labour - nothing more nothing less. Some people are ok with that. Some are not.

It’s hard to be objective because I’d hate to live there anyway. What I would say is the situation is not going to be resolved quickly. The whole region is destabilised. YABU to not have known what countries surround where you are emigrating TBH.

🤣

The UAE is actively seeking to improve things and have implemented labour reforms. I stayed with family there not too long ago and their house help is treated very well. They've got the wage protection system now and even the US State Department agrees the UAE is striving to make improvements.

We have human trafficking here as well.

You can like the same gender, just according to UAE laws and customs they ask you not to act upon it.

and they punish you if you do; please try not to downplay it.

The UAE is actively seeking to improve things and have implemented labour reforms. I stayed with family there not too long ago and their house help is treated very well. They've got the wage protection system now and even the US State Department agrees the UAE is striving to make improvements.

We have human trafficking here as well.

You can like the same gender, just according to UAE laws and customs they ask you not to act upon it.

No crime... perhaps because slavery and similar despicable things that are illegal here aren't over there. Slavery is not a crime.

On the other hand homosexuality can be punished with the death penalty.

Better to enslave people than like someone the same gender 🤔

To be fair to OP I don't think many of us expected Dubai to be bombed yesterday - it's not generally a conflict-affected area and many, many Brits holiday and live there.
I've never been to the ME, but my Dad worked out there for years in the 90s/2000s - Dubai, Saudi, Qatar, Israel etc etc as he was an oil/gas engineer. Things can turn in an instant, and although it never happened to him, he had colleagues who were emergency evacuated, because a coup or something like this had happened overnight. I also knew a Diplomat's wife, who had to be evacuated - Yemen I think - they had to leave everything - left with the clothes they were wearing and their passports.
OP - I don't think you'll be moving there in 4 weeks (even if you still want to!), unless this blows over v quickly, and frankly it looks like it's ramping up today. I think it's more likely the Foreign Office will advise against travel, and start bringing Brits home tbh. But far too early to tell.

The only 2 aspects of your post that are unreasonable are (i) the fact that you are only starting to question things (rather than ruling it out entirely) and (ii) the fact you did not realise how close to Iran it was. I totally understand that geography is not everyone’s strength, but surely if you are considering relocating to a different country you would educate yourself about where in the world it is?

I am not saying this to be unkind. But I do think it’s so important that people (and I am really focussing on women here) are not passive observers in their own lives. Moving abroad is a big thing. Even more so if you have children who are dependent upon you for their safety and security. It’s so vital to take ownership of your decisions and that can only happen through being fully informed.

In answer to your primary question - in my view the only reasonable thing to do is to cancel the move.

I had no idea how close to Iran it was

Where did you think it was?

Yet, USA citizens get ridiculed when they come out with comments like this!

I'd looked up DH new office on Google maps and places we were thinking of living. Looked at nearby things on Google and landmarks, just hadn't zoomed out that far to see everything else. I knew Iran was nearby but I just wasnt thinking about that as no idea there would be war. People will laugh but it just wasn't my first thought, I was more concerned about neighbourhoods/ supermarkets etc