Dubai is now a ‘ghost town’ of empty sun-loungers and pools
Dubai is a city known for its mega-mansions, pristine resorts and Michelin-star dining.
But in the nearly two weeks since the US and Israel launched deadly strikes against Iran, this curated image is all but gone.
Now Dubai, of the United Arab Emirates, has become a ‘ghost town’ as the Gulf state bears the brunt of two-thirds of Iran’s attacks.
Empty beach bars, sun loungers and pools have become a common sight, as have high-end stores like Gucci being shuttered.
Some tourist attractions have even temporarily closed, such as the Dubai Parks and Resorts and Global Village theme parks and the Ain Dubai observation wheel.
Hotels, meanwhile, are offering cheaper rooms in a bid to lure in spooked holiday-makers.
One local told the Daily Mail: ‘Normally on Friday, the traffic would be gridlocked and the restaurants and shops would be very busy, but the place is a ghost-town now.
‘I have heard from friends that at some of the big hotels and resorts, the bosses have told their staff that they have to take their paid leave now because there are hardly any guests now, so there’s nothing to do.
‘If they don’t have any leave left, will they be expected to live on nothing?’
Thousands of residents and tourists have fled Dubai so far, a city where nine in 10 people are foreigners.
That is, if they can even board their flight. Data shared with Metro from Cirium, a travel analytics firm, shows that almost half of flights leaving the Middle East were cancelled on Tuesday, amounting to 228 flights.
The financial consequences may be high for Dubai, given that the city relies on tourism.
But Dubai’s migrant workers, often tied to their jobs because of visa rules, may feel the pinch the most.
One café manager from Pakistan said they worry about what ‘the future holds’.
‘The spring break for schoolchildren starts today and there is hardly a Western child to be seen anywhere,’ they added to the Daily Mail.
‘Their parents have all taken them home.’
Iranian attacks have so far set five-star hotels on fire, shattered the windows of luxury apartments and damaged the city’s financial hub.
Four people – Murib Zaman, Saleh Ahmed, Dibas Shrestha and a Pakistani driver – have been killed in the barrage of strikes so far.
Some travellers are wondering whether it’s safe to even go to Dubai, all while influencers churn out ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ content.
They do so, as experts have told Metro, because they face prosecution if they post content that goes against ‘official’ narratives of the conflict.
Nick Rowles-Davies, an international lawyer based in Dubai and CEO of litigation funding platform Lexolent, said: ‘The UAE has a track record of prosecuting misinformation cases, including during sensitive periods such as the Covid-19 emergency.
‘Enforcement is not theoretical – authorities have consistently made clear that forwarding unverified content can itself create legal exposure, particularly where it generates fear or disorder.’
A British tourist was charged under cyber-crime laws in over alleged video footage showing missile strikes.
Dubai, ranked among the top 10 destinations in the world, welcomed 19.59 million tourists last year.
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