Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes

The United Arab Emirates has sold itself to foreigners for years arsenic a sunny, safe, tax-free oasis.

That peaceful representation was shattered Saturday (February 28, 2026) arsenic Iranian weaponry rained down connected Dubai, mounting occurrence to a five-star resort, threatening the world's tallest building, and sidesplitting 1 idiosyncratic and injuring 7 others astatine the airdrome successful the superior metropolis of Abu Dhabi.

Iran-Israel conflict updates connected March 2, 2026

Iran has deed the UAE and respective of its neighbors arsenic it strikes backmost from the large onslaught by U.S. and Israeli forces, causing fearfulness and chaos successful a spot that until Saturday (February 28, 2026) was predictably calm.

“This is Dubai’s eventual nightmare, arsenic its precise essence depended connected being a harmless oasis successful a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an adept connected the Persian Gulf astatine the European Council connected Foreign Relations wrote connected X. “There mightiness beryllium a mode to beryllium resilient, but determination is nary going back.”

Officials tried to reassure residents and visitors that the country’s aerial defence strategy was among the champion successful the world, blasting down drones and missiles.

“I cognize it’s a scary clip for a batch of the residents,” Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, told CNN. “We don’t perceive these types of large sounds. But astatine the aforesaid time, those are sounds of interception. And wherever determination has been harm — that has been chiefly debris.”

Fallout from the attacks has undermined the Emirates' efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran contempt longtime suspicions of its neighbour crossed the Gulf. The UAE closed its airspace Saturday (February 28, 2026), shuttered its embassy successful Tehran connected Sunday (March 1, 2026), and withdrew its diplomats due to the fact that of the attacks.

“This determination reflects its steadfast and unwavering presumption against immoderate aggression that threatens its information and sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said successful a statement. It called the attacks an “aggressive and provocative approach” that threatens the region.

The oil-rich federation of 7 sheikhdoms has relied connected its representation arsenic a spot of serenity to lure affluent tourists, businesspeople and aboriginal residents who privation to unrecorded mostly tax-free successful luxury successful the godforsaken by the sea. Nearly 90% of the estimated 11 cardinal residents are foreigners.

Real property firms merchantability glimmering high-rises and poolside villas to affluent Europeans and Americans by promoting a welcoming clime and business-friendly policies, and touting it arsenic 1 of the safest places connected earth.

Hundreds of drone and rocket attacks later, though, that estimation has been rocked.

“Last nighttime was beauteous surreal," said British racehorse trainer Jamie Osborne, who was successful Dubai for the Emirates Super Saturday (February 28, 2026). “You’re lasting successful the paddock watching missiles get changeable done the sky.”

The Ministry of Defense said Sunday (March 1, 2026) that aerial defenses had dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, 2 cruise missiles and much than 540 Iranian drones implicit 2 days.

While officials said they intercepted each aerial attacks Saturday, debris from the knocked-down weapons sparked blazes astatine immoderate of Dubai's astir iconic locations.

Social media videos and photos showed a occurrence extracurricular the Fairmont edifice connected the prestigious man-made Palm Jumeirah island, flames licked astatine the facade of the celebrated Burj Al Arab hotel, and fume roseate into the entity adjacent Burj Khalifa, the 2,723-foot (830-meter) skyscraper.

There besides was a occurrence astatine Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, the city’s main oversea terminal and a large shipping hub, and the Dubai International Airport was damaged and 4 employees were injured, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Kristy Ellmer, who was connected a concern travel from New Hampshire, said she was staying distant from the windows of her edifice but felt comparatively harmless contempt the galore blasts.

“You perceive a batch of explosions astatine times, you know, there’s hundreds of them," she said. “It’s unsettling. We’re not utilized to proceeding bombs, right, oregon missiles.”

Louise Herrle, an American tourer whose formation location with her hubby from Dubai was scrapped, said it was her 3rd clip trying to sojourn the area. Previous trips were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hamas onslaught connected Israel successful October 2023.

With their existent Abu Dhabi and Dubai circuit over, she is little apt to instrumentality to the Emirates oregon the region.

“I would astir apt beryllium inclined to debar this portion of the satellite erstwhile there’s accrued tensions, it conscionable explodes truthful quickly," Herrle said.

Maybe, she said, “the beingness was trying to archer america something.”