“It's time to go”: Dubai's ultra-rich are scrambling to leave this cosmopolitan tax haven, sometimes spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to escape a regional war that could drag on, writes AFP on Wednesday.
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Between the desert and the sea, this city in the United Arab Emirates attracts many millionaires, seduced by its favorable taxation, its security and local authorities that are favorable to entrepreneurship and trade, notes Agerpres.
But when Iranian missiles and drones began raining down on the skyscrapers on Saturday, some of them paid astronomical sums to secure a way out of Dubai, with Emirati airspace partially closed and commercial flights extremely rare.
“When we saw the fire, we were like, 'OK, it's time to go,'” said Evrim, a Turkish resident, referring to the fire that broke out in a luxury hotel located near her home on the famous archipelago of artificial islands The Palm, after fragments of a rocket fell.
Her husband, Evrim, and their two young children paid $200,000 to fly from the neighboring sultanate of Oman to Geneva, where they plan to move and wait out the war.
This family did not want to wait any longer, fearing a prolongation of the conflict especially in the event of Saudi Arabia entering the war, which controls a large part of the regional airspace.
To reach Muscat, the capital of Oman, they drove for six hours through the desert.
“We were very worried. Especially for the children, when they heard the noise (of intercepting missiles – ed.), they were very afraid,” said Evrim.
Private jets
The United Arab Emirates, which authorities say has been targeted by more than 800 drones and 200 missiles that have killed three so far, is bearing the brunt of Iran's attacks on countries in the Persian Gulf region in retaliation for the Israeli-American military campaign.
Airports and oil facilities, the heart of its economy, are among the most affected targets.
Several foreign governments, including the UK and Germany, have sent planes to Oman to evacuate their citizens, while a still small number of commercial flights take off from Emirati airports.
But the richest manage to find alternatives.
Glenn Phillips, director of public relations for Air Charter Service, a charter company that offers private jet services internationally, said “demand is clearly on the rise.”
“We have already organized a number of evacuation flights, and others are planned (…), mainly from Muscat,” he revealed to AFP.
The route to Oman is the most popular, Glenn Phillips added, but congestion at the border means a three- to four-hour wait.
According to him, the prices are rising due to the lack of planes, as many of them are stuck on the ground. And private jet operators are also avoiding flying because of safety concerns.
Demand for cars exploded
Demand for private cars to leave the UAE has exploded, says Mike D'Souza, operations coordinator at Dubai-based Indus Chauffeur, whose clientele is mainly made up of wealthy Westerners.
Many of them travel to Saudi Arabia, where the airports still operate, even though obtaining an access visa to this kingdom can be a real challenge.
But for those with more modest incomes, escaping Dubai is particularly difficult.
A British expatriate, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had found it extremely difficult to find a commercial flight from Muscat for himself, his pregnant wife and their three-year-old son.
“Prices are extremely high and available seats fill up quickly, even while you're trying to book,” he explained.
They finally managed to board a plane bound for the Indian city of Hyderabad, from where they will fly to Thailand.
“Although my son doesn't quite understand what's going on, he is clearly affected and my wife is also concerned. That said, we deeply love Dubai, which we call our home,” said the same British expat.
“We intend to go back there after our baby is born and after the situation calms down,” he continued, but admitted he did not know when that would happen.
