Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Why is Dubai “suffering” when the United States and Israel are at war?
Reprinted from the public account: Phoenix WEEKLY
“Dubai International Airport T3 Terminal was hit by missile fragments”;
“A mother and her daughter spent 360,000 yuan to hoard 12 air tickets just to wait to return home”;
“The world’s only seven-star hotel, Dubai Yacht, was hit by drone debris”…
This past weekend, news about Dubai was closely related to the war in the Middle East.
At around 9 a.m. local time on February 28, the United States and Israel suddenly launched a joint air strike on Tehran, the capital of Iran, and multiple nuclear facilities in Iran.
In this raid, the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran was severely damaged, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was directly killed in the incident.
Around noon on the same day, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that they would immediately launch a resolute counterattack called “True Commitment-4” in response to the attack. The Revolutionary Guards declared that this would beThe most violent offensive operation in history,It is the aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran’s territorial sovereignty, legitimate self-defense and legitimate retaliation with the intention of subverting the regime.
However, what no one expected was——
Dubai, which is more than 2,000 kilometers away from Israel in a straight line, became the first “unlucky passer-by” to be affected in this counterattack.
Rich people who went to Dubai to avoid taxes began to “take refuge”
The attack on Dubai is more serious than many people think.
In the early morning of March 1, almost everyone standing outside Dubai witnessed explosions dotted in the sky.
Next, there was a sudden alert on the phone, and faint explosions coming from all over the sky.
This is obviously not a holiday fireworks, but the scene where a large number of missiles and drones from Iran were intercepted by the UAE air defense system while flying over the Persian Gulf.
Dubai’s landmark Palm Island Pheromone Hotel was hit by a larger falling missile fragment that hit the entrance and courtyard, and exploded.
Nearby residents said that at the moment of the explosion, all the windows of surrounding buildings were shattered.
The fire that broke out in front of the hotel was completely extinguished by firefighters who arrived a few hours later.
After the danger was resolved, one resident even gave the Pheromone Hotel a one-star negative review on the hotel booking platform.
The reason for the negative review is short: a rocket landed in our room.
The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building in Dubai, also had its first evacuation since the tower was built on the night of the 28th due to repeated encounters with shattered drones.
The fire from repeated explosions illuminated the outline of the tower very clearly.
The Burj Al Arab, known as Dubai’s “seven-star hotel”, frequently appears on the Internet for its 24K gold decoration, undersea restaurant, high-altitude apron and other features.
But even Internet-famous landmarks are not immune to being affected by missiles and drone debris.
The side of the hotel was hit and caught fire in the early morning of that day, and guests were forced to evacuate to the lobby for refuge.
Under the dangerous building, no matter how big the rich were, they all lost their daily privileges and dignity without distinction.
Wearing bathrobes, they sat on chairs in the lobby, waiting for the next announcement from the hotel.
Residents of the Dubai area were thrown into chaos amid panic caused by the attack.
Long-term residents have entered supermarkets to stock up on daily necessities.
In the past two days, in Dubai malls, although staple food, water and other daily necessities were fully stocked, salt and frozen instant products were sold out.
〓 Picture source Xiaohongshu user @殷殷In ArabLife
When the war spreads, people’s anxiety is concrete.
Whether to clear all the milk powder on the shelves to ensure the children’s rations for the next few weeks, or to reserve some supplies for other mothers, has become a hot topic on the Internet.
The dilemma between reality and morality is not uncommon on war-torn nights.
But for those living in Dubai, the first priority is to leave.
People who finally arrived at the airport despite the collapsed transportation system were completely dumbfounded:
People arrived at the airport, but the plane couldn’t fly out.
Many countries in the Middle East have closed their airspace. As of the early morning of March 1, three hub airports in the Middle East have ceased operations.
All flights between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum have been suspended.
〓 Airport information board with the word “Cancel” written all over the screen
To make matters worse, the T3 terminal of Dubai International Airport was hit by missile fragments, and thick smoke could be seen in the terminal.
Affected by the attack, Dubai’sThe aviation system was completely paralyzed.
More than 20,000 passengers from all over the world were stranded at the airport where luggage was piled up.
Having come all the way to the “City of the Rich”, they sat on the floor in the restaurant and corridors, waiting for further news.
Among them are pregnant women with children, as well as elderly patients with underlying diseases who have already finished their medicines.
Airport stopYes, air tickets are also rising in price.
When the editor of Phoenix Weekly was stranded in Sanya last week, the flight ticket from Dubai to Beijing only cost more than 1,000 yuan.
But at the critical moment, the economy class ticket price for returning home from Dubai has risen to 12,000 yuan.
As of 6:00 pm on March 2, Beijing time, air defense interceptions were still being carried out intermittently, and the entire city of Dubai was still in a state of emergency.
The UAE Ministry of Defense’s social account stated on March 1 that since the attack on February 28, three people have died in the UAE and 58 others have been injured, all of whom have received medical assistance.
However, local residents are still gripped by a strong sense of uneasiness.
〓 Picture source Xiaohongshu user @Louis Mama Dubai Life✨
News about Dubai continues to appear on social media.
This international “capital of the rich”, which took decades to slowly build and is famous for its prosperity and security, has become another major focus of the Internet besides Iran.
The first tycoon city, a tax haven…all the myths about Dubai seemed to burst like a bubble overnight.
The aftermath of the war continues to impact the hearts of every citizen and tourist.
Dubai, the favorite place for the rich
Why is Iran “targeted”?
In the eyes of many people in Dubai, this wave of beatings is a sign of a fire at the city gate, which affects the fish in the pond.
The war is between the United States, Israel, and Iraq. What is Dubai doing?
Things start from last weekend.
On February 28, the United States and Israel jointly launched a large-scale air strike against Iran.
In just one weekend, the United States and Israel claimed to have destroyed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, its nuclear facilities, missile industrial center and other targets.
Not only that, the United States and Israel also carried out a series of beheading operations against Iran:
Mousavi, Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsparkpur,minister of defenseNasirzadeh, Secretary of the Supreme National Security CouncilShamkhani and others were killed in the air strike.
Of course, the most important thing is that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also been targeted for elimination by the US military.
〓Trump announces Khamenei’s death
After Iran has suffered this series of blows, there is no reason not to fight back.
Over the weekend, the Iranians also launched a military campaign code-named “Real Commitment-4” and launched a series of counterattacks against U.S. and Israeli targets.
The United States and Iran have had a lot of friction over the years, and they have fired at each other not once or twice, but this time it is indeed a little different.
In the past, Iran usually gave early warning before launching retaliatory attacks, and clearly informed them which bases housing US troops would be attacked. They reported their names before launching the attack, and the actual losses caused were limited.
But this time, Iran not only stopped warning, but also greatly expanded the scope of the attack:
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait… Arab countries that have US military bases and are regarded as allies of the United States have all suffered retaliation from Iran.
〓 Iranian missile hits Israeli General Staff headquarters, Iran releases images of the attack
This includes, of course, Dubai.
Although there is no US military base in Dubai, Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port is a supply center where the US Navy frequently stops overseas;
Located in Abu Dhabi, south of Dubai, there is the US military’s Al Dhafra Air Base.
Perhaps from Iran’s perspective, although Dubai is not directly involved, it is still related to the United States and Israel.
Iran threw a lot of missiles, but not many actually hit them.
The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates issued a statement on March 1: Since the beginning of the attack, a total of 165 ballistic missiles aimed at the UAE have been detected, of which 152 were successfully destroyed and 13 fell into the sea; 2 cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed.
In addition, 541 drones were tracked, of which 506 were intercepted and destroyed, and 35 fell into the territory.
In fact, although most of the missiles were intercepted, the interception process broadcast live on the Internet, the falling missile fragments, and the incoming drones still made people in Dubai panic.
Dubai attack
Why does it attract global attention?
Prior to this, Dubai had always been regarded as the most attractive tax haven in the Gulf, a holy place for digital nomads, and a favorite vacation spot for the emerging rich…
In the chaotic Middle East, Dubai has always been the representative of “unique scenery here”.
Dubai’s starting point is no different from many Middle Eastern cities.
In the 1960s, Dubai discovered oil and relied on its resources to earn the first pot of gold in its rise.
In the 1970s, oil accounted for 10% of Dubai’s GDP. 50% above. But Sheikh Rashid, the old Sheikh Rashid at the time, was very sober. He once said a famous saying that has been handed down from generation to generation: “My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, my grandson will also drive a Land Rover, but my great-grandson may ride a camel again.”
In order to prevent future generations from falling into the dilemma of “riding a camel” again, Dubai began a crazy transformation very early.
In addition to distributing money to its citizens, Dubai has been proactive in launching a large-scale infrastructure construction campaign in the desert, launching super projects.
If you want to be rich, build roads first.
In the 1970s, in order to develop shipping, the ruler of Dubai dug out the world’s largest artificial port, Jebel Ali Port, in the desert 35 kilometers away from the city. Now it has become an important trading port in the Middle East.
When you have a port, you also need an airport.
Although Dubai has built an airport in the 1960s, its small area and low specifications cannot meet Dubai’s ambitions as an international metropolis. Over the past few decades, Dubai Airport has undergone a series of expansions and is now the largest airport in terms of international passenger traffic.
With hardware, there must be software.
As early as 1985, Dubai established the Arab world’s earliest free trade zone and made a decision that went against its ancestors: allowing foreign investment 100% owned.
In 2002, Dubai established the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) and introducedBritish common law systemthe establishment of an independent court directly attracted a large number of international financial institutions to settle in.
Coupled with policies such as zero personal income tax and zero profits tax, Dubai has become a tax haven for global capital, digital nomads and Internet celebrities.
India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, football star Cristiano Ronaldo, top Internet celebrity “Dubai Sister”…
〓Forbes survey shows that dozens of billionaires own properties in Dubai
There are countless rich and famous people who have settled and lived in Dubai.
There is the tallest building in the world, the only “seven-star” hotel, luxury cars from all over the world on the streets, and Hermès is just a grocery store.
What supports this lavish prosperity is Dubai’s reputation as “the safest city in the Middle East”.
As we all know, the Middle East is the powder keg of the world. Living here is a natural neighbor to war.
However, Dubai has been establishing itself in the Gulf with a safe and stable image for many years.
One of the most important reasons is that Dubai has always pursued a policy of flexibility and neutrality.
〓The current Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Dubai is not only an ally of the United States, participating in the Abraham Accords and actively establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, but it is also part of the Arab world and has harmonious relations with its Gulf neighbors.
Even regimes such as Russia and Iran that are subject to Western sanctions use Dubai as a transit point and safe haven for funds.
Over the past few years, Dubai has been the world’s largest foreign investment destination;
Dubai’s real estate market will have a transaction volume of 761 billion dirhams (approximately US$207 billion) in 2024…
Before the attack, finance, tourism, real estate… almost everything in Dubai was booming.
Countless wealthy people have purchased properties here, and celebrities and Internet celebrities are flocking to it.
Once peace is gone, karaoke will no longer be OK.
Related reading:
