Can Dubai’s Luxe Image Survive the War with Iran? | BBC News

Sep 8, 2026 | As the summer holiday season draws to a close, foreigners travelling to and from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are facing delays, cancellations and severe travel warnings.

The disruption comes as a result of the UAE’s position in the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Throughout the conflict, Iran has attacked the UAE more times than any other country, including Israel.

Until the war with Iran began, Dubai was a major tourist destination, famous for its modern skyscrapers, luxurious beaches and low crime rate.

For decades, the Gulf city has promised residents and tourists alike safety, security and stability – so has that promise fallen apart? And what could that mean for the city’s future?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Sameer Hashmi, an independent journalist based in Dubai, about how Brand Dubai is weathering a major regional war.

Broken DUBAI: 10 Areas Turning Into Ghost Zones as Tourism Collapses in 2026

July 25, 2026 | What is really happening across Dubai in 2026?

After years of record-breaking tourism, some of Dubai's most famous destinations began experiencing quieter streets, changing visitor patterns, and growing economic uncertainty. But is Dubai really in decline, or is the reality more complex?

In this documentary, we explore 10 areas across Dubai that have sparked discussion about the city's future, including Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Business Bay, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), DIFC, Global Village, and The World Islands.

Dubai for Gay Expats: What the Golden Visa Ads Don’t Tell You

July 28, 2026 | Dubai is aggressively attracting expats, entrepreneurs and remote workers with low taxes, luxury living and long-term residency options.

But there’s one rather important question if you’re gay: What would your life there actually look like? 🇦🇪🏳️‍🌈

The UAE’s Golden Visa and other residency programs can make Dubai look incredibly attractive on paper. But financial freedom and personal freedom aren’t necessarily the same thing.

In this video, I look beyond the glossy Dubai marketing to examine what LGBTQ+ expats should understand before considering a move to the UAE.

Wie der Iran-Krieg die Emirate ins Wanken bringt | SRFglobal | SRF

Jun 4, 2026 | Luxusvillen, Steuerfreiheit und Sicherheit: Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate sind zum Magneten für Superreiche geworden. Doch der Krieg im Iran bringt das Geschäftsmodell der Emirate ins Wanken. Hinter der glitzernden Fassade von Dubai und Abu Dhabi beginnt eine neue Machtverschiebung am Golf.

La fin de l'ère Dubaï ? La véritable raison de l'abandon du tourisme en 2026 ! / The End of the Dubai Era? The Real Reason Behind the Abandonment of Tourism in 2026!

March 20, 2026

‘The Shine Has Been Taken Off’: Dubai Faces Existential Threat as Foreigners Flee Conflict

THE GUARDIAN: Tens of thousands of residents and tourists have left UAE since the US and Israel started bombing Iran two weeks ago, leaving beach bars, malls and hotels eerily empty

In the playground of the rich, nobody wanted this war. For decades, Dubai built itself up as a sanctuary of unadulterated consumerism visited by tourists the world over.

But now, the city in the United Arab Emirates faces an existential threat, as the war between the US and Israel and Iran has shaken the foundations of the “Dubai dream” that so many foreigners had bought into.

The UAE has borne the brunt of more than two-thirds of Iran’s strikes; the state targeted in part, say analysts, for its deep military and intelligence partnerships with western powers, and Dubai’s reputation as a favoured centre for global finance and western holidays.

“The shine has definitely been taken off,” said John Trudinger, a British resident of Dubai for 16 years, who is a headteacher at an Emirati school in Dubai. He employs more than 100 teachers from the UK and said most have been so “deeply traumatised and really struggling to cope” with the sudden arrival of war in Dubai that they have left and won’t come back.

They are among the tens of thousands of residents and tourists that have fled Dubai since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran almost two weeks ago. The city’s large population of migrant workers largely don’t have that privilege. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Dubai | Wednesday, March 11, 2026

US-Israel War in Iran: What Next for the Gulf? | The Global Story

Mar 3, 2026 | The US-Israel war with Iran is now engulfing the Gulf.

The Gulf states - including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain - are some of the wealthiest places on earth and have until recently been mostly insulated from Middle East conflicts.

But why are places including Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait being targeted by Iranian strikes? And will the Gulf states retaliate if the bombing continues?

The BBC's Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, is an expert in the region.

He explains why the Gulf may soon be pressed into action and offers his thoughts on what might happen next.

Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Fire after Iran Attack | BBC News

Mar 2, 2026 | Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have exchanged strikes as the Iran conflict widens across the Middle East.

The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli attacks in Beirut and southern Lebanon have killed at least 31 people, with 149 injured. Israel said it was responding to Hezbollah attacks.

Meanwhile, apparent Iranian strikes around the region continue - with explosions reported in Bahrain and Dubai, while an oil refinery was attacked in Saudi Arabia.

In Kuwait, “several” US fighter planes have crashed, the Kuwaiti military has said.

Sanchez Goes Nuclear on Cam: 'Migrant' Musk Attacked as Spanish Declares Social Media 'Failed State'

Feb 3, 2026 | Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has ignited a global debate after launching a fierce attack on social media giants at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. Calling social platforms a “failed state,” he accused them of spreading disinformation, hate speech, and harmful content targeting children. Sanchez also took direct aim at Elon Musk amid a row over migrant regularisation and online influence. Now, Spain is moving toward tough new rules, including age bans and criminal liability for executives. But how far will this digital crackdown go, and who could be affected next?

Want to Understand Russia? Visit Dubai.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: It’s a key refuge for Moscow’s wealthy, including the record producer Iosif Prigozhin. He insists he still loves President Vladimir V. Putin, no matter what you’ve heard.

Iosif Prigozhin, a Russian music producer, scrolled to the bottom of the contacts app on one of his iPhones and showed me the tally of entries: 11,801.

He and his wife, the pop star known as Valeriya, “know everyone,” he told me. That includes the “generals and criminals” who once harmoniously shared a table at a concert of hers in Crimea.

“That’s Russia, my friend,” Mr. Prighozin said.

We were tucking into chicken and sea bass on the 25th floor of the skyscraper-resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where Mr. Prighozin and Valeriya own two apartments. There was a three-story “longevity hub” somewhere above us and a “global street food” spot through a tunnel of faux graffiti somewhere below us. Later, on the pool deck, suspended between two skyscrapers and 300 feet above vast roads and malls and building sites, Valeriya lip-synced for Instagram. » | Anton Troianovski | Photographs by Katarina Premfors | Reporting from Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Friday, July 11, 2025

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Let Me Come Home, Teen Sentenced in Dubai Pleads

BBC: An 18-year-old British man sentenced to a year in prison for a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old British girl in Dubai has appealed to the emirate's ruler "to let me go home".

Marcus Fakana, from north London, began a secretive holiday romance in September with another Londoner, who is now aged 18.

After returning home and seeing pictures and chats, the girl's mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who arrested Fakana at his hotel. Sex with another person aged under 18 is illegal in Dubai.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister recognises it's an extremely distressing situation for Marcus and his family." » | Harry Low, BBC News | Thursday, December 12, 2024

How Nuriyah Khan’s Upscale Islamic Life in Saudi Arabia & Dubai Took a Dark Turn

Jul 8, 2024 | When her well-off British family moved to Saudi Arabia near Mecca, Nuriyah Khan (‪HolyHumanist‬) lived in two worlds at once — a plush Muslim life inside a compound which protected her from a fundamentalist Islam. Hoping to continue to live a progressive Muslim lifestyle, she married and moved to Dubai. Once her relationship became unsafe, she asked for a separation and was confronted with Sharia law, Islamic religious law that guides the moral and religious lives of Muslims. He relentlessly stalked her along with the Dubai police who were trying to force her to stay with him, confiscating her passport.

Tucker Carlson on US-Russia after Putin Interview | Ukraine War | World Government Summit

Feb 12, 2024 | Tucker Carlson on US-Russia After Putin Interview | Ukraine War | World Government Summit At the World Government Summit, Tucker Carlson of The Tucker Carlson Network delved into the US-Russia relations, following his recent headline-making interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The interview, which has sparked a wave of criticism from Western commentators, was in the news over Putin's claims about Ukraine.


„Führung erfordert das Töten von Menschen“: Auf dem World Governments Summit in Dubai schwärmt Tucker Carlson von seinem Treffen mit Wladimir Putin. Unterschiede zwischen Russland und den USA sieht er kaum. Und Todesopfer hält er für normal. »

To Escape the Heat in Dubai, Head to the Beach at Midnight

Floodlights illuminating Umm Suqeim beach in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this month.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a city where weather that would constitute a deadly heat wave in Europe is just a typical summer day, official “night beaches” have become a popular way to cool down.

Toddlers squealed, the sea roared and a portable speaker abandoned on the shore played a love song. Perched on a giant inflatable hot dog, a child paddled through the shallows.

This could have been any beach anywhere on a summer weekend, if you closed your eyes tight enough to shut out the light of the moon. But it was midnight on a recent Monday. The lifeguards were working a night shift, and blazing spotlights were trained on the water, staining it an eerie, luminescent turquoise.

Even at this hour, it was 90 degrees, with 79 percent humidity. That is pleasant, relatively speaking, for summer in Dubai — a city of glistening skyscrapers and bustling ports in the United Arab Emirates, an immigrant hub where citizens are the minority.

“It’s so hot we can’t come to the beach during the day,” said Ramshah Ahmed, 36, a Pakistani teacher who had traveled to Dubai to attend a wedding and spent most of her days inside air-conditioned malls. She was delighted to find a beach open at night so her children could burn off some of their energy; newcomers were still arriving on the sand as she and her son whacked a pink badminton shuttle back and forth. » | Vivian Nereim | Photographs by Andrea DiCenzo, Reporting from the beach in Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Monday, August 28, 2023

Khaleej Times: 'Boys Don't Cry and Men Need to Man Up' - Busting Men's Mental Health Myths

May 25, 2023 | Being vulnerable — and admitting to it — is something most males would shy away from. It’s a sign of weakness. But given that depression, anxiety and toying with thoughts of self-harm are all realities of modern life, there need to be more conversations about men’s psychological wellbeing so they are not ‘ashamed’ to seek help, says men’s mental health specialist Rahaf Kobeissi.

Dubai Scraps 30% Alcohol Tax and Licence Fee in Apparent Bid to Boost Tourism

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BBC: Dubai has scrapped its 30% alcohol tax in an apparent bid to boost tourism.

It will also stop charging for personal alcohol licences - something residents who want to drink at home must have.

Dubai has been relaxing laws for some time, allowing the sale of alcohol in daylight during Ramadan and approving home delivery during the pandemic.

This latest move is thought to be an attempt to make the city more attractive to foreigners, in the face of competition from neighbours.

The two companies which distribute alcohol in Dubai, Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), and African & Eastern, said they would reflect the cut in tax for consumers. » | Elsa Maishman, BBC News | Monday, January 2, 2023

Mali - Dubai: Die Wege des schmutzigen Goldes | ARTE Reportage

Der Goldbergbau in der Sahelzone entzieht sich zunehmend der staatlichen Kontrolle, immer mehr Goldgräber schürfen in kleinen Minen auf eigene Rechnung. Bewaffnete Gruppen finanzieren sich durch den illegalen Bergbau und den Schmuggel, darunter auch islamistische Terrorgruppen.

Mali etablierte sich so allmählich als Zentrum des Goldhandels der Sahelländer, und das Emirat Dubai wurde in den letzten fünf Jahren zum wichtigsten Aufkäufer der Goldproduktion auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent. Experten werfen den Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate vor, sie förderten indirekt den illegalen Handel mit dem Gold, weil sie nicht darauf achteten, woher die Goldbarren kämen. Institutionen wie die OECD fordern deshalb weitaus strengere Regulierungen. Unsere Reportage berichtet über die neuen globalen Wege des schmutzigen Goldes.

Playa Restaurant Review: Miami Beach Vibes in Dubai #shorts

British Embassy in Dubai Incurs Wrath of Locals for Flying the Pride Flag

Sheikh Mohammed Arrives at Buckingham Palace to Offer Condolences on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

KHALEEJ TIMES: Heads of state and leaders representing nearly 200 countries and territories will join Monday's state funeral

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has arrived at Buckingham Palace to offer his condolences on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

A video posted by the Government of Dubai Media Office showed the UAE Vice-President entering the palace along with Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.

The Dubai Ruler is among the many heads of state, world leaders and royals from across the world who have travelled to London to pay their respects to Britain's longest-reigning monarch, who died on September 8, aged 96.

The President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid had led tributes as the country mourned the passing of the Queen on September 8.

The UAE had declared a three-day mourning after the Queen passed as the country's leaders, top officials, diplomats and residents paid glowing tributes.

Till September 12, flags within the UAE and in the country's embassies abroad flew at half-mast.

UAE leaders, including some Rulers and Crown Princes, visited UK missions in the country to offer their respects. » | A Staff Reporter | Sunday, September 18, 2022