While property experts expect the return of some London leavers, it certainly won’t happen overnight
The shock of seeing shrapnel fall in their gardens and the famous curving facade of the Burj Al Arab Hotel ablaze was a wake-up call that Britons in Dubai could not have foreseen when they made the move to the sunshine, beaches and brunches of the most populated Emirate.
The desert idyll of over 200,000 Britons currently in Dubai, whether residents or those on holiday, looks decidedly less attractive this week after strikes by Iran’s drones.
As the Foreign Office handles those registering for assistance, and the British government warns against all but essential travel to Dubai and much of the Gulf region, the longer-term implications for the Dubai and London property markets remain far from clear.
As of Sunday 1st March, the UAE has intercepted 541 drones, 165 ballistic missiles and 2 cruise missiles, demonstrating its defence capabilities” says Katy Keenan, CEO, British Chamber of Commerce Dubai.
These are unprecedented times for regional security in Dubai but there is a very stoic approach to business continuity most likely led by the confidence earned by the UAE leadership for its strategy through the pandemic.