To have little sympathy for people who've moved to Dubai?

[VaxMerstappen]

Firstly, let me say that say that I am not celebrating the fact that people have been killed in the latest conflict in the middle east in the slightest.

However, is anyone else struggling to empathise with all the influencers etc who for a long time have been lauding it up about how much better life is out there, and are now suddenly missing the safety and security of Blighty?

We have our problems, sure, but at least we're not in the middle of an active war zone. Nor is there much chance of us waking up to missile or drone attacks tomorrow.

It's been fairly well known for years that Dubai is a soulless hellhole with a frankly medieval attitude towards women's rights. Yet people still move there for tax reasons and then seemingly never shut up about how glad they are to have done so.

Maybe this development will make all those people realise just how relatively lucky we are to live in the UK?!

You realise no tax and no women’s rights does not equal a reasonable expectation to be in a war zone, right?

Dubai is in my top 5 of places I wish never to visit. YANBU.

I don’t think it would be that great to live in the UK, everyone always complains

There are plenty of places that have questionable human rights. The human rights that we value so much yet we think it's ok to protest outside hotels to intimidate people who've escaped hell holes? Half of this country gives diddly squat about human rights.

Large Western populations migrating to and contributing to Middle Eastern countries is the best way to help neutralise old fashioned Islamic values. What's up, can't we stand Muslim nations actually trying to change for the better?

They’re utter morons for moving there. The Middle East is unstable and has been for decades. Why on earth would you risk your safety to move there? Not to mention the awful slave labour and treatment of women. I’m with you OP. Naive at best, ignorant at worst.

I said I felt sorry for them. What else do you want?

Well, we’re a little bit less safe today here in the UK , now that our stupid government and even stupider PM has agreed to uk being used by the US to strike Iranian missile sites. Why oh why not keep us out of it.

If I have to explain, it's really not worth the effort.

I have to agree with this; the classic British aversion to the tall poppies.

Whilst I found Dewbye to be boring, all this “nouveau riche tax dodgers” narrative smacks of Eat The Rich. God knows we all pay a shite load of tax in this country to be met with basically third world healthcare and the like, so why shouldn’t people try out different home countries? The UK is like a race to the bottom in attitudes sometimes

Genuinely?

Or are you actually wishing ill on this couple?

It's hard to tell from your post?

My friend was sheltering in a closet with her kids last night. She’s a diplomat, sent to Dubai for a several year term. She’s gets no choice about where they get sent off to and no right of refusal if she wants to stay employed. Probably not the most dangerous place they’ve lived tbf, but still not nice.

Spare a thought too for all the people trafficked to Dubai and other places, some of whom work in hospitality or as household staff and were most likely to be injured in the attacks.

The reality weird thing about Dubai is that there is now a whole generation of children born of “ex-pats” who are now adults themselves. The people who I have met in this situation seem to have a complicated relationship with the place. It’s a weird expat culture to be your native culture, but it is their normal.

Please, say this to people in real life.

Let us know how it goes.

I lived in Dubai and Qatar, had kids there and extensively travelled the region before moving away. I‘ve been in touch with former neighbours and friends who are stuck with drone interceptions, afraid for their lives. As so many others said this isn’t the time to gloat or extol the virtues of living in the UK. Have some empathy for those who are stuck in a war zone, sheltering with their loved ones tonight.

so, to translate, anyone who’s emigrated to the US which has a pretty shite record of personal freedoms of late deserves to one day be under military fire and drone bombings? Got it. Seems fair.

Yeah probably best not, I don’t engage with virtue signalling.

This 💯

"The UK is like a race to the bottom in attitudes sometimes".

It really isn't. It's choc full of people who think they have to either:

a) Apologise for their opinion
b) Demand apology for opinion

Dubai is a man made hell hole; literally, just thinking about the average temperature makes me sweat. In my opinion, of course, for which I shall not be apologising 🙂

Oh how virtuous you are

Literally this. It’s a ethically and morally bankrupt kind of place

Living the comments about envy 🤣. Hmm yeah so jealous of a life based around shopping centres, brunches and air conditioning. Not vacuous or boring at all. I’m not stuck where l am, because of my husband and l’s careers we have plenty of options. Dubai is a place both of us have zero interest in so have never even bothered to holiday there

I mean, i always have sympathy for people who are scared for their lives. I’m not a dick you see

This is a very strange outlook on life tbh.
Do you feel somehow superior in feeling like you live in a “safe” country? And I say that in inverted commas because nowhere is really safe is it.