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.

Saudi Arabia vs. UAE: How the Iran War Deepened This Gulf Rivalry | Mapped Out

July 25, 2026 | Saudi Arabia and the US have announced a nuclear deal that has rocked the Gulf. The landmark agreement would establish a civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia with the help of US companies. Critics fear it could lead to Saudi Arabia developing nuclear weapons or even set off a nuclear arms race in the Gulf.

This deal is likely to be a new layer of a deep-seated and bitter rivalry in the Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The UAE already has a nuclear deal with the US, albeit a less extensive one.

The news of this controversial deal follows attacks from Iran on the Gulf in the context of the US-Israeli war on Iran. This war has transformed the Gulf and sharpened the Saudi-UAE rivalry further.

The countries' leaders Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ) of the UAE used to be bros, but their race to dominate the Gulf has soured the relationship.

From trying to build the biggest skyscraper like Burh Khalifa and Jeddah Tower, to buying up football clubs like Manchester City and Newcastle United, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will compete on anything. But this competition is fuelling conflicts in Sudan and Yemen with devastating human consequences.

As the US withdraws from its role as security guarantor in the region, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are scrambling to align themselves with new partners. The UAE is particularly working with Israel and might even be building and sharing military facilities with them in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia.

Can these neighbors find any common ground — or might this rivalry and the possible new nuclear deal split the Middle East even more?

U.A.E. Expels Pakistani Workers, as Pakistan’s Peacemaking Creates a Rift

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As Pakistan mediates between the U.S. and Iran, its ties to the Emirates have deteriorated. Pakistani workers say they are now being sent home en masse.

Pakistan has been trying to help end the war in Iran, but that effort is now creating problems with one of its longtime partners, the United Arab Emirates.

The rich Persian Gulf country has started a large-scale expulsion of Pakistani workers, threatening to cut off a vital source of jobs for Pakistan.

The Emirates appears to be upset that Pakistan has not condemned Iranian strikes on the Emirates more forcefully while it is trying broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran. The Emirates has borne the brunt of those attacks and has been hit by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones strikes.

The New York Times interviewed more than 20 Pakistani Shiites who worked in the Emirates as employees of Emirati companies. All said they were suddenly arrested, detained and deported in the past month.

Eight people with businesses based in the Emirates said their Pakistani employees had been deported in recent weeks.

Shiite religious leaders in Pakistan estimate as many as thousands of Shiite Pakistanis have been deported from the Emirates since mid-April. Pakistan’s 35 million Shiites, who have deep spiritual ties to Iran, have often faced sectarian violence in Pakistan, where the majority of people are Sunni Muslims.

The reasons for the expulsions are unclear, and both countries claim their ties are strong. » | Elian Peltier, Zia ur-Rehman and Vivian Nereim | Elian Peltier reported from Islamabad, Pakistan; Zia ur-Rehman from Kohat District in the country’s northwest, and Vivian Nereim from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. | Friday, May 8, 2026

UAE’s Ruling Royal Family Benefits from More Than €71m in EU Farming Subsidies

THE GUARDIAN: Al Nahyans’ control over farmland in Europe has meant they receive proportion of payments to farms

This screenshot was taken from this Guardian article. | Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, is at the helm of the Al Nahyan family. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates’ ruling royal family is benefiting from tens of millions in EU subsidies to grow crops destined for the Gulf, it can be revealed.

A cross-border investigation by DeSmog and shared with the Guardian found subsidiaries controlled by the Al Nahyans collected more than €71m (£61m) in six years for farmland it controls in Romania, Italy and Spain.

The Al Nahyan family is the second richest in the world, with an estimated wealth of more than $320bn (£235bn), mostly derived from the Emirates’ vast oil reserves.

Subsidies under the common agricultural policy (Cap) make up a third of the EU’s entire budget, paying out about €54bn each year to farmers and rural areas across the bloc.

But an unknown proportion of this ends up in the hands of foreign investors – including those controlled by autocratic states. » | Clare Carlile | Thursday, May 7, 2026

Bessent Backs Financial Support for Oil-Rich U.A.E.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Treasury secretary said that currency swap line would benefit both the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he backed the idea of providing economic support in the form of a currency swap to the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich ally that has been contending with economic fallout from the war in Iran.
Speaking at a Senate hearing, Mr. Bessent said that the Emirates, along with several other countries in the Persian Gulf and Asia, had inquired about the possibility of a swap. He said such a maneuver would prevent the disorderly sale of U.S. assets as nations look to secure access to dollars. The war in Iran has damaged oil and gas infrastructure throughout the Middle East, dealing a blow to economies such as the Emirates that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to transport crude around the world.

The Treasury secretary said that providing a currency swap to the Emirates could benefit the United States by stabilizing foreign exchange markets and protecting American assets around the world. He added that it could be provided by the Federal Reserve or by the Treasury Department, which can deploy its Exchange Stabilization Fund to buy another nation’s currency.

“Swap lines, whether it’s from the Federal Reserve or the Treasury, are to maintain order in the dollar funding markets and to prevent the sale of the U.S. assets in a disorderly way,” Mr. Bessent said. “The swap line would both benefit the U.A.E. and the U.S.” » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Wednesday, April 22, 2026

This is astonishing indeed! No money can be found to help hard-pressed Americans, but billions can be found to help an oil-rich nation. It is more especially astonishing given the fact that the USA is on its uppers and this illegal war, in addition, is costing billions per week. Trump and his chums in the regime appear to have very queer priorities. Of course, if this illegal war had not been started, the UAE’s economy wouldn’t be suffering today. That the country now needs help is only because of Trump’s illegal and unnecessary war on Iran. It’s a war that should never have been started and waged. — © Mark Alexander

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

Can the UAE Recover from the Iran War?

Mar 20, 2026 | The UAE has long marketed itself as an unshakeable oasis of luxury and stability, even as regional tensions simmer. But a direct conflict with Iran, marked by a barrage of missiles and drones, threatens the very foundation of that image. Beyond the immediate damage to oil stations and airports, the real crisis is one of perception. If the Emirates can no longer guarantee the safety of its residents and global tourists, the economic model of the last thirty years may finally reach its breaking point.

Trump Threatens to ‘Massively Blow Up’ Major Iranian Gas Field after Strikes in Qatar | BBC News

Mar 19, 2026 | US President Donald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” a major Iranian gas field, after Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan in retaliation to an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US "knew nothing" of Israel's strike, and threatened an escalation if Iran attacks Qatar again.

If Iran does strike Qatar again, Trump said the US will "will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before".

Iran's South Pars is part of the world's largest natural gas field, with both Qatar and Iran operating facilities in the area - Israel is yet to comment.

The price of gas has risen sharply in the UK and Europe following the attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan.

Saudi Arabia and UAE Defence Strategy Against Iranian Missile Strikes

Mar 12, 2026 | As Iran continues to attack its Gulf neighbours could the strikes turn into a wider war? Who might be drawn in? And with Iran hitting friends as well as foes, how will this war reshape the Middle East and its relationship with the US?

‘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.

Iran’s Deployment of Shahed Drones into UAE Was a Strategic Mistake | Mick Mulroy

Mar 3, 2026 | “Most of our partners were on the sidelines. They wanted to see diplomacy work and they certainly didn’t want to be involved, and now they are involved.”

Iran’s strike using Shahed drones on Dubai was a “strategic mistake” as US partners will become more militarily involved in this fight, says former US assistant secretary of defence for Middle East Mick Mulroy.

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?

EU Considering Ban on Weapons Sales to United Arab Emirates | DW News

Nov 25, 2025 | Amnesty International has accused the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of committing war crimes in the town of El-Fasher - and says the United Arab Emirates had "facilitated" their action. The UAE is accused of supplying the weapons used by the RSF. Now, the European Parliament is considering a ban on weapons sales to Abu Dhabi.

Carney Secures BILLIONS After Royal UAE Welcome to Counter Trump’s Attacks

November 21, 2025

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

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. »

Andrew Neil: Labour's Lead 'Baked In' and Public Has 'Run Out of Patience' with Tories

Feb 11, 2024 | Broadcaster Andrew Neil has warned that the Conservative party is heading for electoral disaster. Mr Neil, who is chairman of the right-wing magazine The Spectator, said Prime Minister RIshi Sunak is a "decent man" but "doesn't seem to be that great a politician".

Let us please call a spade a spade! The UAE is not only a dictatorship, it is an ISLAMIC dictatorship. Under no circumstances should ANY Islamic government own one of our own prestigious newspapers or media outlets.

If this sale goes ahead, it will accelerate the Islamisation of the UK in particular, and of the West in general. This sale will mark a turning point. The Rubicon will have been crossed. It will be the beginning of the end for freedom and democracy. It will be: Goodnight, Occident! Good morning, Orient!

Frankly, I never thought that my country would be or could be so weak, stupid or unwise. In fact, I am appalled by our ridiculousness, our weakness, our lack of foresight and our ignorance of geopolitical affairs. Have we forgotten the Crusades? Have we forgotten what Islam’s intentions are? Are we really willing to give all away? Will the modern West sell its soul for a few dollars? If so, the West deserves to perish. RIP Occident! – © Mark Alexander

How Lord Cameron Rolled Out the Red Carpet for the UAE

THE TELEGRAPH: Plus, we look at how the Gulf state’s network of influence is spreading throughout the UK

Three years after becoming prime minister, Lord Cameron set up a secretive Whitehall unit codenamed Project Falcon.

Its job was to court the oil-rich sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates with the aim of persuading them to invest billions in the UK.

The unit’s work was so politically sensitive that the Government did not even admit to its existence for two years, and only then after a Freedom of Information battle.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was to the UAE that the former premier went for part of his portfolio of jobs after he quit No 10 in 2016, earning an estimated £470,000 for making four speeches in the autocratic state, as well as taking a part-time teaching role at a university in Abu Dhabi.

Nor is he alone in establishing connections with the Gulf state: almost 100 current and former MPs and peers – including eight ministers – have declared financial links to the UAE in the past decade. » | Investigations Team and Gordon Raynor, Associate Editor | Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Cameron is a weak man. A weasel, perhaps? Despite being already fabulously wealthy, it appears that he can’t get enough to line his own pockets. The country’s future be damned.

This country is being Islamized under our very noses, and by our own government to boot!

Is this what the Conservatives understand by "taking back control"? Is this what they understand by regaining our sovereignty? Theey bitched, moaned and whined when we pooled our sovereignty with Brussels, but are absolutely willing and ready to give our sovereignty away to the Islamic world, to the fabulously wealthy Muslim Arabs? – © Mark Alexander

American Mercenaries Hired by UAE to Kill in Yemen | BBC News

Jan 23, 2024 | American mercenaries, hired by the UAE to kill in Yemen, have spoken candidly on camera for the first time in an investigation by BBC Arabic.

At a time when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping have highlighted the international dimensions of the Yemeni conflict, the investigation also reveals how US mercenaries trained Emirati officers to kill the UAE’s political enemies in Yemen.

These extra-judicial killings, conducted in the name of counter-terrorism, started in 2015 and continue to this day.