Dubai Under Siege: Expat Exodus, Economic Impact

0:00On March 13, Dubai is emptying out fast as Iranian missiles and drones hammer the city. Thousands of expats, including around 240,000 Brits, have fled, leaving beaches, pools and bars deserted. The once bustling hotspot now sits quiet amid the attacks. Over the past two weeks, Iran fired roughly 1,700 projectiles at the United Arab Emirates, hitting Dubai with two-thirds of them. Air defense is intercepted 90 percent, but strikes damage skyscrapers, hotels and the international airport, injuring four people and killing four, others so far. Residents feel the heavy toll. Teachers from the UK are traumatized and gone for good, while taxi drivers watch business vanish and eye exits to other countries. The expat-driven economy, which powers 90 percent of the city, grinds down without tourists or workers. Officials downplay the blast as signs of strong defenses and charge dozens with cybercrimes for sharing attack videos. Influencers push back with

1:01post-praising leaders for keeping everyone safe, even as major airlines cancel flights for weeks. Western banks pull staff amid threats, and the airport keeps taking hits. With Iran eyeing the strait of hormones to choke oil flows, Dubai's recovery looks far off as fear lingers over every boom in the sky.