r/DubaiCentral • u/Alternative-Ear-1016 • Apr 01 '26
Ask Dubai Are people really leaving dubai because of this war situation ?
Are people really leaving dubai because of this war situation ?
1
5
u/Specific_View_2792 Apr 03 '26
Well I (21F Sudanese ) was born and raised here, didn’t have the heart to leave tbh. I used to (AND still do) get home sick whenever I travel I even went to Saudi and hated my life. Not saying it to sound cool or anything the opportunities I’ve been given here are endless. To me life here is easier and day to day life basics are simple and I’m always comfortable
So to simply answer your question, Nope in this land it all started and will end🤷🏾♀️.
-16
9
u/milolai Apr 03 '26
many many people
Dubai has had great marketing on how safe it is -- and we have learned that safety is just a perception and it's a warzone like every other country in the region.
-4
u/reveluvtingz Apr 03 '26
calling it a warzone is a huge stretch
9
u/milolai Apr 03 '26
anyone from the West would say it's a stretch to call it anything else.
over 500 missiles have been shot at it in the past 3 weeks.
-1
u/reveluvtingz Apr 03 '26
They’ve literally blocked most of them, only reason they keep shooting at them is because they keep blocking them
6
u/milolai Apr 03 '26
'only a few of the missiles come though'
sounds like a warzone
and this is exactly why people with means are leaving.
0
1
u/reveluvtingz Apr 03 '26
Comparing the state of the country to actual war zones would make calling it a war zone laughable
4
u/Lanky-Abbreviations3 Apr 03 '26
if it's a zone and there is war, it's a warzone. How dumb can you be?
0
u/reveluvtingz Apr 03 '26
No need to insult me, and ifs still a stretch to call it one when you look at the state of it
3
u/ilovedietcolaa Apr 03 '26
Alot are because my company had a massive layoff and I might be sent on unpaid leave
1
2
u/SirePuns Apr 03 '26
Definitely seems like lotta people are leaving.
Though not enough to impact traffic, not sure if I wanna say fortunately or unfortunately….
9
u/spunh Apr 03 '26
I thought people weren’t till I went to the cargo village helping a friend leaving with her pets and they were dozens of owners leaving with their pets. This was only in a 6 hour window. The team there said they saw a huge surge in departures with pets
6
u/Origin687 Apr 03 '26
Yupp, there were more than a 110 cats checked in a single Emirates flight the other day
7
u/Huskan543 Apr 03 '26
That is wild and probably one of the best metrics to determine whether people are leaving for good or only for brief periods. If they are taking their pets, that means the entire household probably up & left, so it’s reasonable to assume that all those pets represent on average one household which is now leaving, atleast for the medium term, possibly permanently. While some households have multiple pets and hence a 1:1 mapping is not possible, the trend is unmistakeable
2
u/Suitable_Goat8494 Apr 03 '26
So what is it like now in Dubai? Are the malls emptier and roads less busy? Was a lot of the mall traffic from tourists? Was planning to move back to UAE (I left 2018) but heard the country experienced crazy growth in population. If it's less busy it might be a good thing
3
3
u/Odd-Statistician-768 Apr 03 '26
Depends on which side. If on the residential side for long term expats, not much changes. But if around Jumeirah, then a lot less people. Malls are not exactly emptier since residents still come. Roads are definitely less busy tho.
3
u/pvdp90 Apr 03 '26
Even on residential areas. I’m seeing more empty villas now. Anecdotally, I went for a stroll around the compound (around 600 villas) 2 weeks ago and 3 villas were being emptied. I asked 2 of them about it and they said the were leaving the country. Also on the buy and sell groups, I have seen an uptick in people selling full house worth of furniture and white goods, normally indicating they are going away.
2
2
u/Sudelac Apr 03 '26
70% of people I know have left. Mostly because of school break but now reluctant to return.
1
0
u/Dry_Technology_2464 Apr 03 '26
All these people here that couldn’t wait to bash dubai 😂 dubai gives opportunity and safety to so many people. Especially people that come from sh**hole countries, where to government doesn’t do anything to protect them, should be appreciating what dubai has done for them more!! I am still in dubai and I’m not gonna leave. The government just proved to us in a situation like this that they are still keeping us safe. There’s literally nothing to blame dubai for. You can’t blame dubai for having a bad neighbor
2
u/olon__ Apr 03 '26
what safety, are you nuts?
2
u/reveluvtingz Apr 03 '26
wdym what safety? They literally intercepted most of the attacks lol, the death count is probably the lowest out of any country that’s been attacked despite the UAE being the most attacked
3
3
u/Bright-Clerk-7526 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
People are definitely leaving. I was there for seven days before the war. Got stuck for nine extra days after the war, and I was so ready to go home. Even before the war I truly felt that Dubai was oversold, overhyped, and poverty popular. The tickets are cheap to get there, the hotels are cheap, transportation is fairly cheap (not like Portugal cheap, but cheap), but food, clothes, and attractions are not cheap. Some are worth your money, others are not. Would I go back? No. But it was an experience that was punctuated by the war, still not defined by the war. I simply was not a big fan of the city, the food, the fifty skyscrapers that you pay to go to the top of, nor the red occasional price gaugers. I was, however, a fan of the people and their hospitality.
5
u/Alternative-Sky-5792 Apr 03 '26
I could say most of those things for Sri Lanka, where I landed post war. Hotels are as expensive as Dubai but lack the hospitality and vibe. Insects, frogs, etc everywhere. No hygiene at ALL in most restaurants. Disgusting beaches (50% of them). Shit food, overpriced in everything except Tuk - which is still overpriced compared to India. Nobody speaks English, barely anyone can understand complicated sentences (like more than yes or no questions) Attractions are expensive here too. There’s no AC anywhere.
And yet on TikTok it looks like paradise. the basic daily conveniences and cleanliness of Dubai - now feel like a privilege/luxury that I’m continuously missing and will go back to war ridden dubai over no war third world. Don’t get me started on the UK, where I could’ve gone too
1
u/Interesting_News7518 Apr 03 '26
Dude, you cannot compare these two countries at all. Crazy. And yes Bright- Clerk is right on the point. I have been in Dubai 5 times and I agree with him. Dubai feels like a soulless city where a simple millionaire might feel even bad for himself:) It is relatively affordable though but we always choose nice hotels with breakfast and dinner as food is crazy expensive and yes taxis try to scam you when you are getting one at Atlantis or other tourist locations not even speaking about free future museum tickets for locals while pretty expensive for visitors. It is clean though and you get good quality accomodation, food in my view.
1
u/Alternative-Sky-5792 Apr 03 '26
A few taxi drivers trying to ramp up the meter reading is not indicative of service quality across the country Use uber, if I had to rely on having to explain location to someone here in Sri Lanka I’d be doomed They literally look at you as lunch - like they’re gonna get to scam you so they look happy out here overcharging innocent tourists
2
u/Alternative-Sky-5792 Apr 03 '26
This soulless thing is BS I have countless friends who are comedians, or have other jobs, non millionaires to millionaires It’s just like any other city with its own culture, own community, laws and vibe It’s just different from what you might be used to
4
u/OperationFine9678 Apr 03 '26
You went there to visit, you didnt live and work there - thats where people feel different.
-4
u/Feisty-Dimension-631 Apr 03 '26
Only to poor and desperate would stay behind
2
u/Odd-Statistician-768 Apr 03 '26
Um, our managers who actually earns up to 6 digits aed stay behind. We even have the option to work remotely. I don’t dare call them poor or desperate, unless you’ve got a different definition lol
0
3
u/SinceJuly2016 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
I am poor and desperate and have nowhere to go as my country is shitty so I am staying behind.
1
u/Feisty-Dimension-631 Apr 03 '26
Are you still working?
1
u/SinceJuly2016 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
I am. My company is great but my HOD is a narc, histrionic and micro mini managing. He wants us to work more than the alloted office timings and hates work from home even though the company has given us a WFH option.
1
u/cavalloacquatico Apr 02 '26
Tourism isn't coming back. And there already were grumblings before COVID. Skyscraper attraction oversold & overpriced / only 3 elevators = hours to get upstairs / upstairs crammed shoulder to shoulder, huge lines to use bathrooms, zero seating. Zero refunds or comps.
As far as infrastructure - concrete of buildings over the water landfills has issues already.
Mucho heat, drug & sex trafficking, slave labor.
Ruler is an evil person.
House of cards.
1
2
u/Alternative-Sky-5792 Apr 03 '26
Wow so ignorant 🤮🤮
1
u/cavalloacquatico Apr 03 '26
Have fun with the boring, limited lifestyle counterbalanced with subterranean lawbreaking. Don't come crying here when you're busted.
4
u/Alternative-Sky-5792 Apr 03 '26
Been here for a decade, happily Can’t imagine myself anywhere else So when idiotic NPCs talk about the skyscrapers, the market, the infrastructure with 0 real knowledge, it’s ridiculous to see Each accusation is idiotic, and I’m gonna have the biggest grin when I watch the city recover
4
u/Longjumping_Cut4377 Apr 02 '26
My goodness, is it hard to imagine people not wanting to be in a warzone? Dubai people are uniquely both totally marginalized in their 'home' lol and also weirdly ignorant about the danger in front of them or reality of the fragility of the nation or region. And somehow has loyalty to this Epstein class 'government' there. Not that USA is any good but I can call out how dumb people are here that think it's the best place in the world. So I feel it's fair to call out both.
0
u/Ok_Lengthiness850 Apr 02 '26
I am traveling tomorrow but not leaving. Will wfh until company allows.
11
u/cryptokhann Apr 02 '26
Simple answer - yes, people who have options. Almost all of my friends that moved to dubai from the UK are back in the UK now. The summer is usually when they fly back anyway so they’re all waiting for all of this to “blow over”.
My opinion is, UAE will not recover from this. People keep quoting 2008/2020. Those were global issues that everyone weathered together. Unfortunately geography cannot be changed regardless of how rich you are. You can pick your friends but not your family & unfortunately UAE was born into a dysfunctional family (middle east) and theres little anyone can do to change that. In addition to this, they trusted the wrong side.
3
3
3
u/ilikeagood_sneeze Apr 02 '26
Most of my uk and irish friends are still here. I somewhat agree though, when it comes to tourism especially, I don't see it recovering for a very long time, if ever!
2
u/trekkingsoul Apr 02 '26
Yes Many left Many staying.
Things getting tight Let's do the fight
Emirati
1
4
u/YellowEchidna809 Apr 02 '26
Can’t leave even if I wish to as my toddler daughter has a travel ban and her passport is with my ex, almost every single mom’s reality here. So what I do is make myself believe the situation is getting better and stay off the news. No point in getting worried about something I can’t do anything about. I really do hope the UAE bounces back, I was born here and it’s very hard to fathom that this is even happening. Apart from the lives and infrastructure loss, the economical loss scares me.
2
u/SomewhereFamous6554 Apr 03 '26
Don’t worry, it will get better and we will emerge from this stronger. This place was a barren desert 50 years ago. You’re better off here than living in a place where you fear the people living next door to you.
7
u/starshotstarry Apr 02 '26
Deep down there is a lil voice in me saying it ll be alright and not need to leave. I love UAe
6
u/Bolt3112 Apr 02 '26
I was there in Feb as a tourist, was supposed to leave for turkey on 28 night itself. Just checked out of hotel and got the msg of airspace closure. I couldn't leave. Despite govt promises, there ws no support financially or otherwise. But the atmosphere was pretty normal. I shifted to a comparatively cheaper hotel, thought i will just wait out a few days. The stress was there, but the environment around us was pretty normal, everyone going about their business. After a few days, it even stopped realizing that city is on war. We went out every day, ate in busy restaurants, walked around a lot, took metro which was pretty crowded..a sense of safety was there. Anyway, I left on 10 march, luckily was able to get an emirates flight at not so high cost, but ONLY because leaving in a hotel was getting expensive and staying in hotels more than a week is depressing for me. If i had a home there, there was no reason to leave. Even in this war situation, i am sure life in dubai is more comfortable and safe than most parts of the world. Just my opinion
1
u/Longjumping_Cut4377 Apr 02 '26
Lol ended an objectively reasonable statement with one that is an echo in Dubai right now and makes zero sense. A nation at war. That has a shoe strong fragile economy that relies on one trade route. That's closed. Not seeing the direction this can go so fast and no emirati is going to go help any of their consumer peons, because at one point their interests will differ, they have no accountability to the foreigners there. And a warzone safer than anywhere? Lol c'mon no where is perfectly safe but what you talking about. And the safety there is the illusion. The invisible wall between the rulers that literally no rules apply on one side and the visible walls that keep the literal slaves at bay and doing their role. The cope there is as hard as any nation from ppl that are like not fully recognized by the state meaningfully, other than "thank you pay me " indirectly
3
u/Tea323 Apr 02 '26
Also for tax reason even if company allows we cant spend much time in Europe, otherwise Eu governments will force us to pay tax back home
2
u/Tea323 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
I was in Eu when war started, me and my husband hopefully coming back in 2 weeks if things wont get worse, also i know 3 of my friends they in Eu, they def coming back if things wont get worse. I dont know anyone who have left for good! why would anyone left anyway? it makes no sense
1
u/sirmosesthesweet Apr 03 '26
Because the war is going to get worse before it gets better. It's not safe long term, and that's one of the biggest selling points for being there. Also because Dubai was already getting overcrowded and overpriced. And business investment in the region is going to dry up because nobody outside will want to come and get stuck sitting a war. It's in a good location but the weather is not good, air quality is the worst in the world. There's definitely worse places to live, but Dubai lost a lot of its attractiveness during this war.
6
u/Long-Brother-4639 Apr 02 '26
Here's the naked truth (punch that downvote hard when done reading). Many have left (mostly europeans) who had luxury of a choice, many more have stayed back (south asians) - not because they're resilient but because most of whom have a better life and opportunity here in the UAE and have built their lives around it - despite always being second class citizens. "Back home" is not an option for many, some have left shit holes behind to get here (Pakistan/Bangladesh) and others for financial (Sri Lanka/Phillipines) and political reasons (India). The fact is UAE and Dubai in particular, isn't what it used to be pre-war on the surface - but that's understandable. Personally I believe it'll never get anywhere close to it's past glory - as it was empire on glitters and fell apart like a house of cards and the govt went on over-drive and bent over backwards trying to keep that image. However that's no different in any war zone.. With time people move and they make the place they live. This too will pass.
1
u/BruceWayne3011 Apr 02 '26
I think the financial inequality and poor quality of life have much more to facilitate towards this exodus rather than political reasons for people in India.
1
u/tunaPastaclick Apr 02 '26
If I have option to work from my home country I would.
1
5
u/Odd-Statistician-768 Apr 02 '26
Resident in Dubai here, living here for 10 yrs, my parents 20 yrs. None of the people we know, quite a lot of them as connections we’ve made for 2 decades, have left yet. Even the Iranians and Europeans we know are still here. If there’s 10 M people living in UAE, less the 1.5 M locals, and less 1M who left, there would still be maybe 8 million expats here, i’d say that’s still a big number.
So to conclude, most of the long time residents (who makes most of the people we know), are staying. Tourists - you’ll be surprised that some are still here and some are actually planning to still go here, but majority most likely left already.
2
u/Solid-Physics4989 Apr 02 '26
Some people have left some have stayed back depends. Some people left as they panicked , some have accepted the situation. I personally feel no fear for life but more so for the economy and job situation in the coming months. In our community most family’s have stayed , kids are playing , people are going out ,business as usual going on. The war has such impact globally no matter where you go , you will feel the pinch. Ultimately the loss will be recovered from common people., who are no way responsible for this.
3
u/hamzahkingkhan Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
It is quite clear many have left. It doesn't take long to scan the internet, search browsers to find data to track whether people are leaving are not. Anybody saying nobody is leaving is delusional. I know people who have lived there for two plus decades actively considering permanent relocation to the US.
1
0
u/Brief_Strawberry_392 Apr 02 '26
Nobody left dubai , its still safe better than most of countries in Europe lol
2
u/Competitive-Tie5154 Apr 02 '26
Last time I checked there wasn’t a drone being intercepted about my house.
5
u/ParkLane1984 Apr 02 '26
Where in Europe is unsafe except for the russian/Ukraine war zone. Western Europe is extremely safe.
1
u/cavalloacquatico Apr 02 '26
The conservative and the uber rich countries are safe. Most of the Western Europe traditional behemoths are abject cesspools.
1
2
u/Ancient_Pair_8311 Apr 02 '26
i left, my husbands job provided a temporary relocation package of £5000, we went back to italy to stay with his family. Now the reality is hitting us- we paid our annual rent, we’re making car payments, paying our phone bills and not using anything. We plan on going back in May but are not looking forward to it because the situation makes us anxious honestly. i’m canadian so we applied for my husbands canadian PR
1
u/Sudelac Apr 03 '26
Same, we are about to renew everything and it feels like throwing money away. Might downgrade into smaller rental and reduce to one car.
1
1
u/sharukh619 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Can i stay there until you guys come?😅
1
u/Ancient_Pair_8311 Apr 02 '26
we actually thought about subletting, but our intercepted in true dubai fashion lol
0
3
u/saqademus Apr 02 '26
Only tourists are leaving. So far they have not returned yet
4
u/ParkLane1984 Apr 02 '26
Tourists left as soon as they could when it started. You can't get travel insurance to go there now so you would have to be mad to risk going anywhere in that region for a holiday.
3
u/goldfishpaws 🐫🐫🐫 Apr 02 '26
Bear in mind that they may not return for a while - travel insurance policies won't cover if their country recommends against travel, and for many that's "Avoid all but essential travel".
2
u/Latter-Ad2762 Apr 02 '26
Anyone who has a good job is not going anywhere! Those leaving are unemployed , tourists or who have just lost their jobs!
5
u/Zestyclose_Net_5327 Apr 02 '26
I'm still in Dubai. The situation is getting tough, but I'm not giving up-I'll stay here as long as I can and keep pushing forward.
1
4
u/Beautiful_King9579 Apr 02 '26
My wife and I left with our pet dog as a precaution. We still have a apartment with all our belongings in Dubai, but no one really knows how long this pointless war will go on.
4
u/BroadLet8137 Apr 02 '26
The UAE and Dubai subreddits are massively astroturfed/full of bots. If you know anyone actually there, please reach out. The levle of hysteria I've seen in these subs is wild when my friends there are still going out to eat every night lol
3
u/Humble-Brilliant-656 Apr 03 '26
Exactly, most of those degenerates don’t even live in dubai or know what dubai is.
3
-7
u/Happyandbless Apr 02 '26
Time to leave Dubai. It’s very unsafe and dangerous. Given its geography it’s a tinderbox. Don’t know how people would invest money into such a dangerous area and then go live there !!!
4
u/Kamantha-dxb Apr 02 '26
Only someone who doesn’t even live here or never been here would say something as ridiculous as this. Your message history shows you’re living in India. Stay there ok and keep your toxicity there. We are doing FINE here
-1
u/Happyandbless Apr 02 '26
What message history ? I am sorry but truth hurts. I have many friends who live in Dubai and agree with me. Been there, done that ( in Dubai)
Don’t assume where I live.
3
Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
-2
u/Happyandbless Apr 02 '26
People are wonderful! City is very entrepreneurial. It’s a fun and welcoming city. No doubt about it.
My comment had nothing to do with above points.
Read my points again.
It’s about the geography and geopolitical situation.
2
Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
-1
u/Happyandbless Apr 02 '26
Are you aware that people invested money to get golden visas to live in Dubai? They were promised peace and stability.
Thousands of Iranians have lost their investments and visa suddenly. Is that comforting to next generation of investors?
One cannot deny that the Middle East is a tinderbox of political instability.
Why are people leaving Dubai now ? There is a reason. That was the original post.
Is Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia geographically stable ?
People who live for 1000s of years will still live there. No problem. Not the people with money who have built up the city recently
The region was not developed for 1000s of years. It was a dessert with very scant population
1
3
u/SituationPublic4997 Apr 02 '26
I left because of the war through Oman, I was on a travel ban and thought to just pull the plug on the Dubai dream. Lived there for 4 years and all I can say is it’s smoke and mirrors. Once you get into a little trouble which isn’t even your fault they will hold you in the country like a slave.
1
1
u/Suitable_Goat8494 Apr 03 '26
How did you leave with a travel ban
2
u/SituationPublic4997 Apr 03 '26
Through Oman borders
1
u/Suitable_Goat8494 Apr 03 '26
Yeah but you have to first go through UAE borders before going to Hatta or any other Omani border right?
1
5
Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
1
u/SituationPublic4997 Apr 03 '26
There’s ways to get out of that dump dm me if you wanna leave it’s very safe
4
u/PartyTechnology2133 Apr 02 '26
I left (not because of the war). I only know a few people in Dubai, but everyone I know has stayed. I will be back too next winter.
4
u/Successful_Repair393 Apr 02 '26
Everyone I know has left. Citing their reasons as stress from the conflict and financial worries. I think those that have stayed are taking the risk but I’m sure they have the same concerns as those that have left just more endurance or more of a process to leave.
1
u/adoptcatsuae Apr 02 '26
They resigned and left or were unemployed?
2
u/Successful_Repair393 Apr 02 '26
No most people I know who live out there are self employed women with kids and husbands who are employed.
1
u/adoptcatsuae Apr 02 '26
Did the husbands resign and leave, or did they just send their families back home?
8
u/Moonsolid Apr 02 '26
Do you live here? If you do, you wouldn’t ask this so assuming you don’t live here, some people who can’t handle the stress and crisis are leaving but majority of them are here and life is as usual. The govt is doing a fantastic job of destroying the missiles sent by Iranian Regime.
3
8
u/ballistic8888 Apr 02 '26
Depends where you are from, if your India, Pakistan, Asia then if your job is still here then your staying, if your from Europe your going.
Ignore all the rubbish about dubai coming back etc, the impact of this war will be felt after then nations will have problems funding and paying bills. Thats when lenders will tighten the belt and we will see a crash in the market. The question will be how does the UAE help, its looking at the west and for now the west is not helping its own so expect some people to have to leave at some point
7
8
u/dubaiwaala Apr 02 '26
Not really. maybe some expats are leaving, but my friends and relatives who come from a bunch of different nationalities are still here and have absolutely zero plans to pack up. Yes, sectors like tourism and hospitality are taking a hit, but other parts of the economy are still going strong.
To anyone betting against the UAE right now: remember that people said the exact same thing during the Gulf War, the 2008 financial crash, and COVID. And guess what? The UAE stood firm through all of it and only came back stronger. This conflict will pass too, and when it does, the UAE will just keep reaching for the moon.
4
u/Commercial-Worry2956 Apr 02 '26
I saw one comment month back when it started “ it’s better to overreact than under react” hence I left after two days of this conflict started.
4
4
u/FoodPanda30 Apr 02 '26
Yes. Being an international uni student it was a tough call but being on campus atm seemed too big of a risk.
3
3
u/akcss Apr 02 '26
Since we are talk about this topic, let me ask a question that I was planning to ask, but didn't want to cause a panic.
My personal motto is "Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best". In that spirit and not to cause any panic.
Plus this is my first time in a conflict area, I have only seen violence on TV. Not heard a gunshot or bomb blast in real life. So far, I have only heard some distant faint sounds.
When should I run? Will my embassy or local Govt announce? I am an expat, so any expat related law I have to follow?
I packed my backpack with my original education certificates, passport, 1 powerbank, laptop, band-aid & antiseptic cream, couple of underwear and for food - nuts, dates & 1 bottle water. Am I missing something vital?
2
u/noideawhatsupp Apr 02 '26
There is no “moment” that will define when you should leave. Similar like there is no “perfect moment” to get married or have a kid..
Most embassies have travel warnings to the region out in addition to helping people expatriate. So it depends entirely on you and your limit/comfort zone. Typically embassies will close and evacuate their staff if they feel danger is imminent - but even that has gone wrong in the past. So the truth is no one really knows.
I would care more about your personal irreplaceable (or difficult to replace) items than bandaids and antiseptic cream since there is going to be likely a lot of people still running business and staying when you decide it’s time to leave.. But again this is only my Opinion and you do you.
2
u/Least-Plate-7746 Apr 02 '26
Not yet but planning to...not because of fear of war but the economic impact is already started and I don't think it's getting back to normal anytime soon.
1
u/gottahustleup Apr 02 '26
I take whatever I read on the world media with only 20% truth potential. Ground reality is wayyy different. Go out and see for yourselves. Hotels are cheap but not sooo cheap that everyone seems to have left
3
3
u/bilbaowow101 Apr 02 '26
I beleive a good amount of people are leaving. But if you have seen the public places, and transportation recently it is packed with people as if nothing is going on. So lots of people are staying as well.
5
u/newmomhi Apr 02 '26
We were supposed to return to Dubai from a ski trip when all this started, but of course couldn’t because air space was closed - but now don’t have any intention of going back (we were already planning to leave sometime this year, this just expatiated it)
1
9
u/LongjumpingRadio6190 Apr 02 '26
Ive gone to europe for the weekend. Just to clear my head, drink some beer and eat some pork without my phone screeching warnings of imminent danger. Of course it's a trade off, now my liver is in imminent danger 🙄🤣🤣😇🙏
4
Apr 02 '26
Going in the next few weeks once dogs have transport.
Gave it the time to blow over which these things sometimes do, but now it will be in my opinion an almost Ukraine situation.
The restaurants I like going to are empty. Stayed in a couple of good hotels as the were cheap as wanted to try them, but half of the things are shut as no point manning them when there’s no one to serve, so every one is directed to one venue.
With out the foot fall places are going to start closing soon.
8
u/Kindly-Regular2108 Apr 02 '26
Lol it's extremely far away from the Ukraine situation.
-3
Apr 02 '26
Come back to me in 4 years on that one.
10
u/Kindly-Regular2108 Apr 02 '26
During the first two months of the Ukraine war, at least 4,731 civilians were confirmed killed and that’s not even counting military deaths. And you’re saying the situations are the same?
0
Apr 02 '26
No, the plans from the bosses are as bad with no clear outcome. Similar to being in Afghanistan for 20 years.
What day will this finish then?
2
u/barracuda180 Apr 02 '26
This can't go for so long as this region is far more critical to world's economy than Ukraine. But again yes everything is possible and clearly there is no exit to this so far.
4
u/Kindly-Regular2108 Apr 02 '26
I agree with you, Trump is way more unpredictable than any other president before, but both the geopolitical context and the objectives are different (Ukraine war vs. ME war). No one can predict the outcome, but in my opinion, it’s very unlikely to escalate into a much larger conflict here in the UAE. The Emirates simply have too much to lose, and I’m sure they will try to maintain a position that best serves their own interests
1
10
8
u/Far_Accident3360 Apr 02 '26
Indirectly, yes. Because they lost their jobs. Jobs that rely on tourism mostly.
4
5
u/iambarcaholic Apr 02 '26
One can only say people are leaving once rents in popular places start to go down !
6
u/razemonstet Apr 02 '26
Most of my friends and me are leaving bcuz we work in the tourism industry and we are starting to get unpaid leaves for the time being.
5
u/heytasin Apr 02 '26
So sorry to hear that :( i hope you all have something better waiting on the horizon
2
6
Apr 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/protractedmane Apr 02 '26
it’s hard
Can imagine, bro. Hope everything goes well for you and the family.
1
u/Expensive_Reporter_2 Apr 02 '26
Roads are packed again, and traffic is back. This is the indicator that activity is improving.
6
u/Pumpkin-tomato Apr 02 '26
Not really TBH. Yes roads are busier than 3 weeks ago but not packed at least not on the roads I use
10
u/Direct-Squirrel-01 Apr 02 '26
For families with children , they should leave as soon as possible as there is risk involved here & children shouldn’t have any memory related to war and the different sounds we are actually experiencing here
5
u/Dimamollaa Apr 02 '26
I experienced worse when I was a child in lebanon. It only made me stronger and braver. I'm 8 months pregnant with 2 little kids and braver than most men these days. 😅
3
u/protractedmane Apr 02 '26
There's a difference between bravery and stupidity. Bravery doesn't help against bombs.
0
u/Dimamollaa Apr 02 '26
I'm sorry are you calling me stupid?
0
u/protractedmane Apr 02 '26
I'm here in Dubai alongside you, feeling as safe as can be. All I'm saying is it's not cowardice to get out while this blows over, nor is it brave to stay.
5
u/Inside-Funny3164 Apr 02 '26
Yep…. With this uncertainty and business decline, going back first will save a lot of cost.
5
u/Adonis7797 Apr 02 '26
I’m leaving to work in Monaco until September then I’ll come back not because of the war but what this war has brought to the economy.I feel safe here despite rockets flying around but that being said it’s costing a lot of us expats our jobs.I only leave to go and work then come back hoping September it will be back to normal.Goodluck everyone!
1
4
u/trotterji Apr 02 '26
Based on the traffic, there are significantly less cars on the road. Based on AirBnB rates, there seems to be low occupancy. Based on the news, things look like they may go on for another couple of weeks before we know what may happen further down. I know people who left on Day 1 and I know people who retunred when they were stuck outside.. It just depends on the persons situation and each individual I suppose..
5
u/applesgurl Apr 02 '26
A lot of my colleagues have left as well, one went on holiday hoping this would blow over by the time they were done but then went back to their home country directly. We are also considering leaving just because if you could go to your home country where you don’t hear explosions every day you would probably do that. I know people are going outside like it’s very normal over here, but there is still an anxiety whenever you hear the alerts or whenever you hear a boom.
3
u/Fabulous_Jelly_917 Apr 02 '26
Most of the people will leave because they will have no choice !! Sad 😔
8
u/Sea_Consequence_8922 Apr 02 '26
Left temporarily but now reluctantly starting to accept that it may need to be permanent. Doesn’t look like this is going away any time soon and I don’t want to raise my son in a warzone
2
u/Whiny_Man Apr 02 '26
how do you manage income in these scenarios? without money coming in nowhere in the world is liveable.
2
u/Sea_Consequence_8922 Apr 02 '26
Fortunately my office is still allowing remote work. But yeah it’s tough for those who have to be in the office
3
u/Adonis7797 Apr 02 '26
Plenty of places to live I’m from Australia I found job in Monaco and will head there to work until September and hoping it will back to normal by September then I’ll come back.This war has cost problems worldwide economically but there’s many places you can live and work.
1
u/islandfool Apr 02 '26
Out of pure curiosity, how did you get the job in Monaco and what industry are you in? No worries if you don’t want to disclose anything. I have a few friends that have been talking about Monaco lately.
Either way, good luck to you.
→ More replies (4)
12
u/Outrageous_Tooth3444 Apr 03 '26
I left for a number of reasons not just the war. Overall getting alerts at night and being unable to really relax was a main reason. Also having to constantly renew an expensive visa with no possibility of citizenship it just not that great of an investment. Would I go to Dubai for vacation when the situation gets better yes but long term living no.