Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes
The Hindu
Iranian airstrikes shatter Dubai's reputation as a safe, tax-free oasis, causing fear and chaos amid escalating regional tensions.
The United Arab Emirates has sold itself to foreigners for years as a sunny, safe, tax-free oasis.
That peaceful image was shattered Saturday (February 28, 2026) as Iranian weaponry rained down on Dubai, setting fire to a five-star resort, threatening the world's tallest building, and killing one person and injuring seven others at the airport in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.
Iran-Israel conflict updates on March 2, 2026
Iran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbors as it strikes back from the major attack by U.S. and Israeli forces, causing fear and chaos in a place that until Saturday (February 28, 2026) was predictably calm.
Smoke rises after an Iranian drone attack in the port area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 1, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP
“This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare, as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Persian Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. “There might be a way to be resilient, but there is no going back.”
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