What happens to Dubai now?

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Dubai has been created as a safe, sunny, tax haven. I know about all the people out there doing good works and enjoying the lifestyle, but the state have created it to attract foreign wealth, which it's done very successfully.

Assuming this conflict isn't short lived (which historically would be a safe assumption), what happens now?

Perhaps it won't be thought of as a holiday destination quite so much, but what a dreadful situation for anyone actually living and working there. Uncertain times.

I've never personally wanted to go there, it has nothing I want.

I have friends and family in Dubai. Everything is as per normal right now.

I think when everything has calmed down, it’ll all go back to normal.

So do I. I know three people who are there now. None of them are even slightly stressed out about it. One who is air hostess who is in a hotel waiting for a flights, she’s fine. One on holiday who should have left this morning and has a flight booked for Saturday but is on the beach instead. And one who lives there as a teacher with her family. They are doing online schooling but have no intention of coming home.

It must depend on how long all this lasts. If it's a few weeks or a couple of months then maybe it will go back to normal. I think it will impact holidays for a while.

It’s amazing how people can adapt to living in a war zone. It wouldn’t be something I would want to do but all the best to them.

I’m trying to get a refund on a holiday there next month. I no longer want to risk being in that area.

It’s really interesting to read that people are behaving normally in Dubai. Dsis was there on holiday and has driven to Muscat today and is flying back tonight. She has spent the last few days sitting in her hotel and refusing to leave the room.

I imagine things will calm down, airspace will reopen and there will be an influx of people taking advantage of a cheap holiday (assuming hotels and flights will be very cheap after this).

If it calms down soon there will be minimal long term impact on Dubai

I have relations who live on the Palm. Thy report a lot of explosions at night

More interesting what happens to Israel and the free world

Having been a previous resident of Dubai between 2006-2019, and thoroughly glad I left and would never go back, you’ve got to remember that no resident currently there would dare say anything negative on social media about the place for fear of being thrown in jail for doing so, even in the current climate!

I had a nightmare of a time there, it left me with ptsd and the mental scars of what I experienced will be with me the rest of my life. I never went to the press about my story as was advised by the FCO not to, and still have kept it to myself (only close family know). Sooo what will be interesting is if there are lots of people who do decide to permanently return after or during this, what they say on their return in the long term (after they’ve got all money, investments, pets, family, furniture out!).

If things stay relatively calm and infrastructure is not affected, then life goes on for the wealthy and those actually working there I'd say.

I doubt if many people will be choosing Dubai as a holiday destination any time soon though. But there's nowt quare as folk just the same!

The importance of Dubai as an international hub airport to East Asia, Oz, NZ etc. might diminish too if the conflict affects movements, and operations might move to Muscat or somewhere else as a temporary measure. However, I am just musing like most people I suppose!

Whatever happens, I hope people stay safe in any of the countries surrounding Iran now.

The importance of Dubai as an international hub airport to East Asia, Oz, NZ etc. might diminish too if the conflict affects movements,

Judging by some comments elsewhere it's going to be interesting to see if the penny has finally dropped with some travellers that it's always been possible to travel well east or well south of the Med without connecting in the Gulf or even connecting at all.

...and operations might move to Muscat or somewhere else as a temporary measure.

Given the size of Emirates operation that would be tough to almost impossible, and in any event would possibly fall foul of some quite fundamental treaties around traffic rights...still, "never say never"

I suspect they'll get DXB up and running fairly quickly...and wouldn't be surprised to then see a seat sale to get customers back.

However, I am just musing like most people I suppose!

Likewise....

It probably does seem pretty normal.for people who live there. That's not the message that is getting across to potential tourists though. Many visitors seem to have been previously oblivious to the UAE's proximity to unstable areas of the Middle East and the current conflict has shone a spotlight on that. Tourism is very likely to be impacted, at least in the short to medium term.

This situation is so hard to tell, however when the pandemic happened, many people said Dubai was over and it has bounced back more than ever.
The gulf countries have invested billions in making themselves interconnectivity hubs especially Qatar and UAE so this airspace closures must be bad news for them. I think they will do what they can to regain trust or offer cheaper fares compared to Asian airlines.
There are also thousands of workers all over the gulf who rely on the jobs and economy to send money to families in their home countries too.
I imagine there is some serious meetings going on within the Gulf Royal families right now to see what can be done to de-escalate the situation.

War means deliberate disruption to supply chains. When it affects food/fuel/water, everything goes to pot fairly quickly. If it was me, I would be stocking up and actively looking for an escape especially if I had young family. It’s not going to return to “normal” within weeks. I don’t consider myself to be an alarmist, but it would take more than a few months to return to “normal” even if it de escalates soon (not likely imho). The damage is already done - there will be tens of thousands (most probably hundreds of thousands) thinking the same. Tax free income isn’t worth your life!

Shocking

People have very short memories, and are easily distracted with shiny things

Me too. But those I know are still following local instructions to stay indoors.

I am not sure we can get a true picture of what it is like over there. Tourism is important to them and anyone there who posts negatively would be punished. They have low crime because their punishments for even low level crime is harsh. I haven’t been there though and don’t want to go.

I read in the Telegraph that there are hefty fines and punishments for people who say what is going on there or upload photos to social media.

Also, there will be lots of people with a significant interest in persuading people all is normal.

Even for people who are comfortable living there ftb, having to acknowledge there may be prolonged periods when you can't leave, even if you wanted to (e.g. family illness at home) must be unsettling.

Dubai hasn’t been ‘created’ as a safe, sunny tax haven, Dubai has been advertised as a safe, sunny tax haven. Not the same.

OK, the development that is modern day Dubai has been created....