Thursday, March 5th 2026
Paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to save their heads from Iranian missiles
‘It’s time to leave’: Dubai’s super-rich are scrambling to leave this cosmopolitan and glittering tax haven, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases to escape the ongoing regional war.
Between the desert and the sea, the UAE city has long attracted millionaires, who are attracted by its favorable tax system, security and policies that are positive for business and trade.
But when Iranian missiles and drones appeared over skyscrapers on Saturday, some paid astronomical sums to secure an escape route, with UAE airspace partially closed and commercial flights operating at a slow pace.
“When we saw the fire, we said, ‘Okay, it’s time to leave,'” said Evrim, a Turkish national, referring to the fire that broke out in a luxury hotel near her home in the famous Palm archipelago of man-made islands after rocket debris fell.
Evrim, her husband and their two young children paid $200,000 to fly from the neighboring sultanate of Oman to Geneva, where they plan to settle. while they wait for the war to end.
The family did not want to wait, fearing an escalation of the conflict everywhere if Saudi Arabia, which controls most of the region’s airspace, became involved in the war.
To reach Muscat, they drove six hours through the desert. “We were very nervous,” she told AFP. “Mainly because of the children, when they heard the noise (of the rockets being fired), they got scared.”
The emirates, which have been targeted by more than 800 drones and 200 missiles, killing three people, according to authorities, are bearing the brunt of Iranian strikes in the Persian Gulf in retaliation for the Israeli-American military campaign.
Airports and oil facilities, the heart of its economy, are among the targets that have been hit.
Several foreign governments, including those of the United Kingdom and Germany, are sending planes to Oman to evacuate their citizens, while a small number of commercial flights depart from UAE airports.
However, the wealthiest are finding alternatives. Glenn Phillips, public relations manager for Air Charter Service, a company that offers private jet services around the world, says “demand has clearly increased”. hours.
According to him, prices have increased significantly due to the lack of planes, with many stranded. And private jet companies are also reluctant to fly because of security concerns.
Meanwhile, demand for private vehicles to leave the Emirates has grown significantly, says Mike de Souza, operations manager for Indus Chauffeur in Dubai, who notes that his customers are mostly wealthy Westerners.
Many of them are going to Saudi Arabia, where airports are still open, even if obtaining visas to enter the kingdom it can be a challenge. For those on lower incomes, fleeing is difficult.
A British expat, who did not want to be identified, told AFP he was struggling to find a commercial flight from Muscat for himself, his pregnant wife and their three-year-old son.
“The prices are extremely high and seats sell out quickly when you try to book,” he explained.
He finally managed to find one. flight to Hyderabad, India, from where they will fly to Thailand.
“Even though my son doesn’t understand what’s going on, it’s clearly worrying him and my wife is also stressed. We love Dubai so much, we consider it home,” he says.
“We plan to come back here once our baby is born and the situation calms down,” he continues. Without knowing when. /tesheshi
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Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
