Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dh still wants to book a holiday to dubai in Oct?

181 replies

Redrobinrose · 02/03/2026 00:59

He think this will all soon blow over

Reasons for going there, it's not too far to fly, the sea is nice and warm, and the beach nice, nice standard of hotels and restaurants

OP posts:
allthingsinmoderation · 02/03/2026 09:17

Obviously unwise currently due to uncertainty.
Wait before deciding.

Jfnfnr · 02/03/2026 09:17

PistachioTiramisu · 02/03/2026 08:13

Yet ANOTHER Dubai-bashing thread! This is getting silly. How many of you people who are full of criticism have actually been there or are you just repeating stories you have read on social media? We are in our 60s, have visited Dubai several times and we love it - we are obviously not influencers or party-goers or anything vaguely newsworthy but love it for the gorgeous hotels, great food, great weather, interesting history and yes - shopping! Did you know that women hold most of the wealth in the ME - they are dripping in gold under those abayas!

And why so much outrage that their culture frowns on people kissing and hugging in public? Surely you can go a few hours without clinging to and kissing your partner? They do turn a blind eye to unmarried couples sharing hotel rooms now so there is plenty of time for all that once back at the hotel. At least you don't see drunk young women staggering down the road in clothes which leave nothing to the imagination!

I am very sad to see the damage and destruction which has been inflicted on Dubai and Bahrain - another lovely place to visit.

I agree with everything you've said here.

LeafyMcLeafFace · 02/03/2026 09:17

DrySherry · 02/03/2026 07:05

"Exactly. Go to Spain. They’re on the right side of history"

Brilliant, though I expect many may miss your heavy sarcasm completely!

Spains history of atrocities is appalling - driven by religious intolerance and colonial expansion, resulting in massive demographic shifts and the destruction of indigenous cultures.

Edited

So, for example, your ancestors (let’s say great grandparents for the sake of argument), were mass murderers. You’re not, but they were. Someone tells Jane that Bob next door is a mass murderer, Jane’s response is ‘yeah but drysherry’s great grandparents were mass murderers so I don’t know why you’re complaining about Bob’

Doesn’t make any sense does it?

https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/united-arab-emirates/

Modern slavery in United Arab Emirates | Walk Free

The 2023 Global Slavery Index country study for the United Arab Emirates.

https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/united-arab-emirates/

ladygindiva · 02/03/2026 09:16

Florally · 02/03/2026 09:00

I have no interest in Dubai but do people really think this is still going to be an issue in October?

Yes quite possibly. Why wouldn't it be?

ladygindiva · 02/03/2026 09:15

He's mental. If he wants sunshine and a nice beach there are literally hundreds of other safer options.

Ninerainbows · 02/03/2026 09:15

FloofBunny · 02/03/2026 09:09

It's the fashionable thing today to bash Dubai.

OP, Dubai is an interesting place. (ETA: You can also go for day trips to other emirates.) Your DH isn't unreasonable to want a holiday there, but I'd wait a few weeks and see what happens.

Edited
Show quote history

Perhaps they didn't help themselves by filling it up with duck-lipped influencers on freebie trips.

FloofBunny · 02/03/2026 09:09

keepswimming38 · 02/03/2026 02:57

What is the deal with Dubai being a holiday destination all of a sudden. People are friggin mental aren’t they?

It's the fashionable thing today to bash Dubai.

OP, Dubai is an interesting place. (ETA: You can also go for day trips to other emirates.) Your DH isn't unreasonable to want a holiday there, but I'd wait a few weeks and see what happens.

CaffeineAndChords · 02/03/2026 09:09

It’s the most soulless dystopian place ever. I don’t know who would want to go there even in normal circumstances.

rainbowsparkle28 · 02/03/2026 09:05

Aside from the fact that it is an absolutely insane idea, what does he propose to do about insurance, there is no way any insurer is going to provide cover now when it is not being advised to travel there.

DrySherry · 02/03/2026 09:02

Maray1967 · 02/03/2026 08:24

If we follow that line of thought, no one should set foot in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin. Or London.

Show quote history

Completely agree. I was just responding to a (now deleted) post of particular stupidity. It was the poster who wrote "Go to Spain, at least they are on the right side of history" that I was responding to. Sometimes you have to call out ignorance when it's on that level 😉

Toomuchprivateinfo · 02/03/2026 09:02

Tell him he’ll be going alone and there are plenty of other places where the sea is warm.

Florally · 02/03/2026 09:00

I have no interest in Dubai but do people really think this is still going to be an issue in October?

SurferRona · 02/03/2026 08:55

outerspacepotato · 02/03/2026 01:21

Tell him smooth brain is not a good look on him.

Just highlighting this little gem 🤣

BackinRed101 · 02/03/2026 08:52

ClairDeLaLune · 02/03/2026 02:05

Well if going to a soulless, fake place with poor human rights and built by slaves is your thing then by all means book a trip.

in a sense you can say about many countries and how they were originally built etc

Ninerainbows · 02/03/2026 08:51

TheABC · 02/03/2026 02:31

How is he going to get insurance? Must companies won't insure against foreign office advice. They are telling people not to go at the moment.

Pick somewhere in the Med. Hopefully this will all be over quickly, but we said the same about Ukraine and that's still going on.

This! Good luck getting insured.

Nutmuncher · 02/03/2026 08:50

By October anything could have happened. Just make sure your travel insurance covers resorts in war zones.

keepswimming38 · 02/03/2026 08:48

You have to follow the home office travel advice don’t you? I mean if you book to stay in a war zone then be prepared not to be covered in term of your travel insurance because you are supposed to sort that at the time of booking. Surely you know this though right?

Womaninhouse17 · 02/03/2026 08:46

I wouldn't want to go there anyway, least of all now.

Clearinguptheclutter · 02/03/2026 08:43

There is a good chance the current strikes will be over in a few days but I suspect people will actually look at a map before they start booking their next holidays in Dubai.

to be wanting to book while all of this is going on. Totally mad.

Scottishskifun · 02/03/2026 08:43

Your husband at best is being an ostrich.

I would wait quite a while if it does blow over quickly the price is likely to drop significantly.
Cyprus will as well.

NotThatSerious · 02/03/2026 08:40

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 02/03/2026 01:09

It’s a place built by modern day slaves and relies on slavery to run.

Why would anyone with a conscience visit there?

If you apply this logic to the rest of the world no one would visit anywhere or buy anything ever again. It’s silly

MrsClatterbuck · 02/03/2026 08:38

We went to Lanzarote in October and it hit nearly 40 one day. Lovely place and wasn't so busy at that time of year.

UninitendedShark · 02/03/2026 08:38

The current situation is just yet another reason I would never go.

GoldenishFish · 02/03/2026 08:38

There is plenty of time still, but booking something right now would be, so to say, unwise. At least wait till the situation is solved one way or another!

InterestedDad37 · 02/03/2026 08:33

Dubai is metaphorically a house of cards built on the sewage of slavery and exploitation. Why anyone would want to go there anyway is beyond me 🤷
He sounds like an optimist though so yay for him.