{"id":1842048,"date":"2026-03-22T10:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1842048"},"modified":"2026-03-22T10:00:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:00:51","slug":"iran-war-turns-dubai-into-a-ghost-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1842048","title":{"rendered":"Iran war turns Dubai into a ghost city"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76426296_6.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Iran war turns Dubai into a ghost city<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Gulf states, and especially the glittering metropolis of Dubai, were synonymous with luxury and security. But with the outbreak of war in the Middle East, tourism has collapsed. The region’s reputation is at stake.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/div>\n

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Not much going on<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Normally, tourists would be thronging Dubai’s Al-Seef market. But since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, tourism in the popular Gulf metropolis has collapsed dramatically.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/p>\n

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Playground of the superrich<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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For decades, an unwritten rule applied to Dubai, the playground of the superrich: no matter what conflicts shook the Middle East, they stopped at the emirate’s borders. This certainty, however, has been shattered since the beginning of the war. Iranian retaliatory strikes against US allies in the Gulf region have driven foreigners away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Amr Alfiky\/REUTERS<\/small><\/p>\n

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Attack at the airport<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Several Gulf states have reported repeated missile and drone attacks on their territory since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28, targeting oil facilities and US embassies, as well as civilian areas such as hotels. In Dubai, a drone strike set fire to a fuel depot near the airport on Monday, shrouding the city skyline in smoke.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: AFP<\/small><\/p>\n

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Flights grounded<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Dubai airport is the region’s busiest hub for international flights \u2014 yet passenger planes have frequently been grounded. Other airports in the Gulf region have also been partially closed, or are operating with limited capacity since the start of the war, due to repeated Iranian drone and missile attacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: AFP\/Getty Images<\/small><\/p>\n

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Empty beaches<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Seagulls frolicking in front of Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, have the beach to themselves. The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates the Gulf region is losing at least $600 million a day due to the collapse in travel. Tourism is one of the economic pillars of the United Arab Emirates, accounting for around 12% of its gross domestic product in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP Photo\/picture alliance<\/small><\/p>\n

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Ruined reputation<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It’s also a hard blow for hotels, restaurants and shops \u2014 including this shop worker at Al-Seef market, normally one of Dubai’s main tourist areas. The conflict with Iran is not only causing financial losses but also severely damaging the region’s reputation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/p>\n

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No safe haven<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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For years, the Gulf region, and Dubai in particular, cultivated its image as a safe haven for investors, businesses and the international jet set, preparing for a post-oil future. In 2025 alone, around 9,800 millionaires moved to the United Arab Emirates \u2014 more than to any other country in the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP Photo\/picture alliance<\/small><\/p>\n

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Deserted metropolis<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Dubai is one of the world’s wealthiest cities: extensive tax breaks, streamlined bureaucracy and the so-called golden visa program have made it popular with rich foreigners and businesses alike. But now, the usually bustling streets of the Jumeirah Beach Residence, a residential and hotel complex directly on the Persian Gulf, are deserted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fadel Senna\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/small><\/p>\n

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Economic model in ‘peril’<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Industry analysts believe the duration of the war will be crucial in determining the extent of the reputational damage and how quickly investors withdraw. “It’s hard to overstate the peril for Dubai’s economic
\nmodel,” Jim Krane of Rice University’s Baker Institute told the Reuters news agency. “The longer the war continues, the more intense the search will be for alternative locations.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP Photo\/picture alliance<\/small><\/p>\n

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‘Tourists have short memories’<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But some believe not all is not lost. “Tourists have short memories,” J\u00fcrgen Schmude, president of the German Society for Tourism Studies, told public broadcaster ZDF. If a conflict or war doesn’t last too long, he said, the destination country won’t suffer any major disadvantages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Image: Fadel Senna\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/small><\/p>\n

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1 | 10<\/span>10 images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5AnJh<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Normally, tourists would be thronging Dubai’s Al-Seef market. But since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, tourism in the popular Gulf metropolis has collapsed dramatically.<\/p>\n

For decades, an unwritten rule applied to Dubai, the playground of the superrich: no matter what conflicts shook the Middle East, they stopped at the emirate’s borders. This certainty, however, has been shattered since the beginning of the war. Iranian retaliatory strikes against US allies in the Gulf region have driven foreigners away.<\/p>\n

Several Gulf states have reported repeated missile and drone attacks on their territory since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28, targeting oil facilities and US embassies, as well as civilian areas such as hotels. In Dubai, a drone strike set fire to a fuel depot near the airport on Monday, shrouding the city skyline in smoke.<\/p>\n

Dubai airport is the region’s busiest hub for international flights \u2014 yet passenger planes have frequently been grounded. Other airports in the Gulf region have also been partially closed, or are operating with limited capacity since the start of the war, due to repeated Iranian drone and missile attacks.<\/p>\n

Seagulls frolicking in front of Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, have the beach to themselves. The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates the Gulf region is losing at least $600 million a day due to the collapse in travel. Tourism is one of the economic pillars of the United Arab Emirates, accounting for around 12% of its gross domestic product in 2025.<\/p>\n

It’s also a hard blow for hotels, restaurants and shops \u2014 including this shop worker at Al-Seef market, normally one of Dubai’s main tourist areas. The conflict with Iran is not only causing financial losses but also severely damaging the region’s reputation.<\/p>\n

For years, the Gulf region, and Dubai in particular, cultivated its image as a safe haven for investors, businesses and the international jet set, preparing for a post-oil future. In 2025 alone, around 9,800 millionaires moved to the United Arab Emirates \u2014 more than to any other country in the world.<\/p>\n

Dubai is one of the world’s wealthiest cities: extensive tax breaks, streamlined bureaucracy and the so-called golden visa program have made it popular with rich foreigners and businesses alike. But now, the usually bustling streets of the Jumeirah Beach Residence, a residential and hotel complex directly on the Persian Gulf, are deserted.<\/p>\n

Industry analysts believe the duration of the war will be crucial in determining the extent of the reputational damage and how quickly investors withdraw. “It’s hard to overstate the peril for Dubai’s economic
\nmodel,” Jim Krane of Rice University’s Baker Institute told the Reuters news agency. “The longer the war continues, the more intense the search will be for alternative locations.”<\/p>\n

But some believe not all is not lost. “Tourists have short memories,” J\u00fcrgen Schmude, president of the German Society for Tourism Studies, told public broadcaster ZDF. If a conflict or war doesn’t last too long, he said, the destination country won’t suffer any major disadvantages.<\/p>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-turns-dubai-into-a-ghost-city\/g-76454537″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76426296_6.jpg”] Iran war turns Dubai into a ghost city The Gulf states, and especially the glittering metropolis of Dubai, were synonymous with luxury and security. But with the outbreak of war in the Middle East, tourism has collapsed. The region’s reputation is at stake. Image: Fatima Shbair\/AP\/dpa\/picture alliance Not much going on Normally, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1842048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1842048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842048\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1842048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1842048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1842048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}