Go-Go Dubai Was Not Built for War

New York Times ^ | 16th March 2026 | Richard Florida

[Cronos]

...Dubai was supposed to be safe. Instead, it has been under attack by Iran since Feb. 28. More than 260 ballistic missiles and over 1,500 drones have been detected over the U.A.E.; most have been intercepted, but their percussive booms have become part of the city’s soundscape.

...The attacks struck at the fundamental premise of Dubai’s model as a new type of global metropolis. It’s developed into what could be called a city as platform — less a rooted place with people and history than a blank slate for the exchange of capital. Its success has even spawned a term, “Dubaification”

...Nearly nine in 10 Dubai residents are non-nationals — by far the highest percentage of any major city in the world. Across the Emirates as a whole, about 10 million of 11.4 million residents are foreign nationals. Many are from the United Kingdom and the United States, but many more are guest workers who do the service jobs on which the city depends and typically come from South Asia, Southeast Asia and the wider Middle East.. Even a traffic violation can trigger deportation. Citizenship is based almost entirely on descent — it’s been intentionally made very difficult for even long-term foreign residents or their children to become Emirati, even after decades of living and working there. The system is designed to rely on migrants while keeping them permanently temporary. That makes it extremely hard to be rooted, to belong, to be attached.

And so it is a city of flows — organized around an airport that connects thousands of routes and a free-trade port that channels global shipping. It is a hub focused on attracting people and their money, and providing opportunities to make and spend more money.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Travel
KEYWORDS: emirates; iran; normuz; uae

[Cronos]

I always found Dubai an artificial city -

In the Gulf region, I much prefer Muscat

[sphinx]

Perhaps it’s time for the expats, 90 percent of the populstion, to take over, expel the Arabs, and turn the Emirates into the Federation of Liberated Gulf States. If they’re clever, they could call it de-colonization.

[Justa]

Oman is always a favorite of regional travelers. Not yet ruined by oil wealth and a hospitable people.

For Muslim cultural authenticity a stay in Organi Town, Karachi, Pakistan will do. Or Birmingham, England.

[FLT-bird]

I was in Dubai a few times in 03-04. All the higher end stuff in tech or especially finance was done by Europeans and Americans. All the grunt work from construction to retail was done by Indians and Pakistanis. The few native Arabs that there were sat back and collected rents. The laws could be a dicey if you got caught doing anything shady (you could get penalties that were much much harsher than anything you'd get back home). But on the other hand it was very safe.

One benefit of no welfare state and everybody being temporary is the lack of entitlement and the lack of bums. You know you can get punished severely or deported if you break the law or even act in an antisocial way. So people don't. You are there to work or are wealthy enough that you don't have to. You are not there to sponge off of others, because that's not possible and you'll get deported. There's no attempt to cry "racism" because that doesn't bring you any benefit there. The lack of rights means I would not want to live there, but I do appreciate the lack of crime and the lack of a welfare dependent socialist race grifting underclass.

[03A3]

I do too.

[paulcissa]

For Muslim cultural authenticity a stay in Organi Town, Karachi, Pakistan will do. Or Birmingham, England.

No need for an 18 hour flight - you can get the same experience in Paterson, NJ.

[zeestephen]

Re: "I always found Dubai an artificial city..."

Not surprising - 90% of the residents are non-citizen expats.

Re: "In the Gulf region, I much prefer Muscat (Oman)."

Oman has just 50% of the GDP (Per Resident) that Dubai has.

[Paul R.]

To read some of the sillier propaganda, er, reports, you’d think Dubai was in rubble. But, the Emiratis have done a pretty good job of shooting down incoming. They seem to know the financial aspect of shootdown methods too:

https://youtu.be/pLyrXSmPE1E?t=29

A nice hobby for wealthy young Emiratis?

[misterdarcey]

Dubai is a helluva city. It’s sure to bounce back.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Fake news. The war was over last week.

[DIRTYSECRET]

We all need all Arab nations to get hit before finishing the job. It keeps them from blaming the US presence for all the turmoil. That plus they’ll know we’re better partners than the Chicoms/Russians. Iran may be aiming first at US bases but too many are hitting civilian areas. That works in our favor.