Sunday, April 12th 2026
The Burj Al Arab Hotel, built on an artificial island stretching out into the Persian Gulf, is famous around the world for its impressive design reminiscent of a sailboat.
But today, waiters, drivers, chefs and all the staff who served the needs of wealthy guests who paid tens of thousands of pounds a night for a suite have been fired.
Bentleys and Lamborghinis are no longer parked. out. The rooftop helipad is empty. According to the Daily Mail, when a reporter tried to visit this week, a polite security guard informed him that the entire complex was closed.
This luxury building – a symbol of Dubai luxury – has been closed, along with at least three other palace hotels owned by the ruling sheikh. The reservations department said the hotels were closing for a year for “renovation.” However, the spokesman admitted under pressure that the war in the Middle East had played a significant role in their closure.
Dubai is a collateral casualty of a war that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have launched against Iran, which is just 75 miles away across the glistening waters of the Gulf.
In response to the Operation Epic Fury strikes, which began on February 28, Iran has hit its allies The US in the region – particularly the United Arab Emirates – targeting sensitive targets such as data centres, desalination plants and hotels.
Even the famous Burj Khalifa is said to have gone up in flames at one point – officially attributed to “fragments” from a captured drone, although reports suggest the incident was more serious.
Dubai’s impressive luxury hotels are almost empty and in the shopping mall, distraught staff look on. their phones waiting for a customer to come in.
A jeweler in the emirate’s largest mall found that by 1:30 p.m. not a single person had come in.
A taxi driver admitted his work had been cut by 90%. Hotel workers were talking about layoffs.
“There has been serious damage, anyone who says otherwise is talking nonsense,” said a property developer, who sells apartments with private pools and air-conditioned balconies costing almost five million pounds.
And while the country’s air defenses claim to have shot down 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones in five weeks of war, at least 13 people have been killed – and Dubai’s reputation irreparably damaged.
Multiple Iranian drones have successfully hit buildings, foreigners have fled and tourists have canceled bookings.
Last week, there were reports that a 25-year-old flight attendant who lives there was among dozens of Britons who have been arrested, often for sharing images of the attacks. The worker had simply asked colleagues in a private WhatsApp group if it was safe to go through the airport.
Dubai relies on millions of foreigners – around 240,000 British – who have made the tax haven their home.
A driver who claimed to have seen an oil refinery burning after an attack said many foreigners had been arrested. “You have to be very careful here,” he warned.
The arrests, as well as the demands to report those sharing videos of the attacks, the suppression of freedom of expression and the attempt to cover up the attacks, are a stark reminder that Dubai is in fact a dictatorship.
“The laws are so broad that a tweet, a message or a piece of content shared can be considered a criminal offense if the authorities believe it harms the country’s reputation or public order,” said Radha Stirling, founder of the organization Detained in Dubai.
All this spoils the brilliant image projected by thousands of influencers who talk about the “safest city in the world”, ignoring the lack of democracy, human rights violations, intensive surveillance and systematic exploitation of low-wage immigrants.
The regime criminalizes adultery and homosexuality, while at the same time there is a strong industry and sexily thriving, with some 80,000 prostitutes for a population of four million, 70% of whom are men.
Dubai is also known for the “dirty money” that helps fuel its growth. Money from corrupt politicians, mobsters and criminals often flows through the city. It has even been a haven for laundering Iranian money and stolen assets.
It is no coincidence that the Kinahan brothers – notorious Irish drug traffickers – lived in luxury there.
At the same time, the emirate is said to support armed groups in Sudan’s civil war and a militia leader in Libya who controls migrant smuggling networks to Europe.
The only thing that is certain is that this oil-rich city, which was transformed from a fishing village into a luxury metropolis, is being seriously tested.
Schools have switched to Covid-style online classes, while many teachers have gone temporarily abroad. Banks including Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered have asked staff to work from home.
A shopping mall in the city’s financial center looked almost deserted, with few lights on in apartments at night.
“Many of them have quit or abandoned their jobs. The business model is collapsing. I fear long-term damage,” said one property manager.
Property market, buoyed from foreign investors, it appears to be under pressure again, with price cuts and rumors of financial difficulties.
At a £3.75m apartment in Dubai Internet City, the agent spoke of depressed sales and the worst year he has ever seen.
Another broker described the market as a “buyer’s market”, saying it was the first time in weeks he had had a foreign client.
Despite Despite the difficulties, Dubai continues to attract around 20 million tourists a year, aiming to remain a global center of trade and tourism.
However, prices have fallen and luxury hotels now offer stays at prices comparable to budget hotels in Europe.
An employee at the Park Hyatt Dubai spoke of a “strange” situation with empty rooms and possible staff cuts.
Other employees spoke of a halving turnover.
At another luxury hotel, Raffles Dubai, the scene was similarly calm, with minimal use of facilities.
One Uber driver said: “Life is hard, many have left. We hope this situation ends soon.”
Similar reports show the crisis is affecting many sectors of the economy, from food service to real estate.
Analysts estimate that millions of visitors could be lost from the wider region if instability continues.
The psychological dimension of fear remains essential: discussions of a possible nuclear war, even in bars with football fans, indicate a climate of concern.
At activities such as Deep Dive Dubai, visitors continue to enjoy the experience, but even there, warnings of possible attacks are treated with increased caution.
At the same time, influencers continue to project an image of normality and security, despite reports of departures and social pressure.
Dubai is facing a period of uncertainty that combines economic pressures, geopolitical tensions and social contradictions.
Although it remains one of the most impressive and ambitious urban models in the world, the current situation raises questions about the sustainability of its development model and whether the image of absolute stability now reflects reality. /tesheshi.com/
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Source: prizrenpost
