‘Time to leave’: Dubai’s super-rich pay fortunes to escape war

US claims to have attacked more than 20 Iranian ships Faced with fears that the war will prolong, Dubai’s super-rich have begun to leave the opulent business center by any means possible, sometimes paying hundreds of thousands of dollars. The United Arab Emirates city has been welcoming rich people for decades, attracted by low taxes, security, luxury and a business-friendly government. 🗒️Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send to g1 However, in recent days, with drones and missiles streaking across the skies, some are paying large sums to secure a safe escape route. The task is difficult because the UAE’s airspace is partially closed. “When we saw the fire, we said, ‘OK, it’s time to leave,'” said Evrim, a Turkish mother of two, referring to the explosion caused by missile debris that hit a luxury hotel near her home on Palm Jumeirah, the artificial archipelago that has become a symbol of the city’s ostentation. She, her husband and two children paid US$200,000 (R$1.03 million) to fly from the neighboring Sultanate of Oman to Geneva, Switzerland, where they intend to wait out the war. To reach the Omani capital, Muscat, they had to drive six hours through the desert. “We are very nervous (…), mainly because of the children. When they heard the sound of the explosion, they were scared,” he told AFP, referring to missile interceptions. Evrim feared that leaving would become even more difficult if the conflict escalated, especially if Saudi Arabia, which controls much of the regional airspace, entered the war. With large theme parks and luxury hotels, the tallest building in the world and even a huge shopping mall with an indoor ski slope, Dubai has become a popular destination for the rich and celebrities. But its status as a safe haven in a volatile region is now at risk. Since last Saturday, the UAE has been the target of more than 800 drones and 200 missiles, which left three people dead, in what represents the most intense part of Iran’s campaign of reprisals against Gulf countries following the offensive by the United States and Israel that killed its supreme leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei. Among the places affected are airports and oil infrastructure. “Our home” Woman walks down the street after an attack, amid the two nations’ conflict with Iran, in Tehran Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters Several foreign governments, including those from the United Kingdom and Germany, are sending planes to Oman to evacuate their citizens, as few flights operate from the Emirates. Still, many super-rich are finding ways to escape. According to Glenn Phillips, head of public relations at Air Charter Service, a company that organizes private jet flights, “demand is clearly increasing.” “We have already organized several evacuation flights and there are more scheduled for today and tomorrow, mainly from Muscat, in Oman, for people who want to leave Dubai,” he explained. Prices are soaring due to a shortage of aircraft as many are at closed airports. Additionally, private jet operators are hesitant to fly for safety reasons. The route through Oman is the most popular, Phillips added, but congestion at the UAE border is so great that some have to wait three or four hours to cross. If the war drags on, there will be fewer and fewer planes available, he warned. Demand for private cars to leave the UAE has also increased, especially among wealthy Westerners, said Mike D’Souza, operations coordinator at Indus Chauffeur in Dubai. Many are leaving the country for Saudi Arabia, whose airports continue to operate. However, obtaining a visa to enter the kingdom has been a challenge for some evacuees. READ ALSO Gasoline, industry and agriculture: see how the war in Iran can weigh heavily on Brazilians’ pockets Among those who were stranded, those with more modest incomes face even more difficulties in leaving. A British man who preferred not to reveal his name told AFP that getting a seat on a commercial flight from Muscat was extremely difficult for him, his pregnant wife and their three-year-old son. “Prices are extremely high and seats disappear quickly when we try to book,” he said. In the end, they got tickets for a flight to Hyderabad, India, from where they intend to go to Thailand. “Although my son doesn’t understand what is happening, he is clearly confused, and my wife has also been nervous,” he said. “That said, of course we love Dubai and consider it our home. We intend to return as soon as our son is born and things calm down,” he added. People carry an injured person from a joint Israeli and US attack on a police station in Tehran, Iran Majid Khahi/ISNA/WANA

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