Recent military developments in the region have imposed a new reality on cities that long appeared insulated from conflict, as Dubai has found itself at the heart of the war’s repercussions, despite being presented as a global city detached from its turbulent surroundings.
The New York Times published an article by visiting professor at Vanderbilt University and professor at the University of Toronto, Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban Crisis. He wrote that a video circulated on social media last week showing what appeared to be an Iranian “Shahed” drone flying over Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai on March 8.
He stated that a fighter jet was pursuing it in an attempt to shoot it down, while below, people were enjoying the sunshine under umbrellas. Reactions ranged from astonishment at people remaining on the beach during wartime, to questioning whether the continuation of daily life, and trust in government protection, had itself become noteworthy.
He added that Dubai, located near the Strait of Hormuz, was supposed to be a safe city, yet it has been under Iranian attack since February 28. More than 260 ballistic missiles and over 1,500 drones have been detected over the United Arab Emirates.
He continued that most were intercepted, but their thunderous sound has become part of the city’s soundscape. A city that spent decades portraying itself as an elegant, luxury, apolitical, tax free haven floating above a volatile region is no longer isolated.
He added that Dubai is living in a state of tension. Major banks have asked employees to stay away from office towers, while people have sought shelter in underground parking areas or any available refuge. Parents have told their children that the explosions in the sky are Ramadan fireworks. At least four people have been killed so far in the UAE, including a Pakistani, a Nepali, and a Bangladeshi.
The article’s author stated that the wealthy, many of whom came to Dubai to work in financial firms, hedge funds, family offices, and law and consulting firms, rushed to book commercial flights and private jets to leave the Gulf region.
The attacks continued, and on March 11, four people were injured when two drones fell at Dubai International Airport.
He added that nearly two thirds of the world’s population lies within an eight hour flight, making Dubai Airport a vital transit hub, with Emirates Airline serving as a global force. Since the war began, the airport has repeatedly suspended operations for short periods, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights to and from the region.
He continued that the attacks have struck at the core of Dubai’s model as a new kind of global city. It has evolved into what could be described as a “city as a platform”, less tied to people and history, and more like a blank slate for capital exchange. Its success even led to the term “Dubaification” to describe the spread of similar malls, towers, restaurants, airport lounges, and luxury brands that create a sense of safety. Despite its proximity to Iran and the currently tense Strait of Hormuz, it appeared insulated from danger. What could go wrong with a Nobu restaurant and a Louis Vuitton store nearby?
The author noted that he first visited the UAE about a decade ago to teach a course at New York University Abu Dhabi, called “The Global City.” According to its website, the campus is part of NYU’s global network designed to provide “seamless international mobility for students and faculty.” It hosts more than 2,000 undergraduate students from over 115 countries, speaking more than 75 languages, resembling a miniature version of the city itself.
He added that the students took him beyond malls and towers, showing him traditional markets, old souks, and neighbourhoods with South Asian character, cultures that existed before the construction boom and have since been marginalised or erased in some places. They resisted what they saw as Western preconceptions imposed without understanding how people actually live there.
In their final projects, students were asked to study Dubai and Abu Dhabi as models of global city building. Their presentations highlighted tens of billions of dollars invested in cultural districts, green projects, and innovation zones to attract global talent. However, there was no clear pathway for foreigners to obtain citizenship or permanent residency. In hindsight, those student projects foreshadowed what may now be a troubling wave of departure among high income expatriates amid continued instability.
The author said his wife is Jordanian, with family living and working in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. During his stay, they shared meals, drank arak, and watched dabke dancing late into the night.
Outside, Ferraris and McLarens lined restaurant fronts, while men in white kanduras and women in black abayas walked through malls filled with the world’s luxury brands. They chose the UAE for job opportunities, career prospects, safety, schools, and lifestyle for their families.
He noted that discussions constantly revolved around visas, mostly two year work permits sponsored by employers, renewable but not permanent, and tied to employment. Losing a job meant losing residency rights. Many expressed love for life there, but uncertainty about how long they could stay. It was more a place of residence than a permanent home, more a platform than a rooted place.
He added that nearly nine out of ten residents in Dubai are non citizens, the highest proportion of any major city globally. Across the UAE, foreigners make up about 10 million out of 11.4 million people. While many come from Britain or the United States, a much larger number are migrant workers in service roles, typically from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Even minor traffic violations can lead to deportation.
Citizenship is largely restricted by lineage, and requirements have been tightened even for long term residents and their children. Even after decades of living and working there, the system is designed to depend on migrants while maintaining their permanently temporary status, making it difficult to feel stability, belonging, or attachment.
He added that the city operates in constant motion, centred around an airport connecting thousands of flights and a free trade port facilitating global shipping. It is a hub focused on attracting people and capital, enabling opportunities to earn and spend.
For a time, this model succeeded remarkably. Dubai experienced massive population growth, rising from about 917,000 in 2000 to nearly four million today, roughly quadrupling in a quarter century, making it one of the fastest growing major cities globally.
The author added that Dubai has risen to the ranks of global financial centres, currently around eleventh place in major indices, and serves as a key financial hub for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Dubai hosts more than 81,000 millionaires, a figure that more than doubled between 2014 and 2024, including over 200 centi millionaires and 20 billionaires.
In 2025 alone, about 9,800 millionaires were expected to move to the UAE, bringing approximately 63 billion dollars in personal wealth, more than any other city worldwide. Dubai now ranks third globally after New York and London, ahead of cities such as Tokyo, Singapore, Zurich, Paris, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, and Chicago, driven by its ability to attract global talent, according to LinkedIn data covering over one billion knowledge workers.
The article added that Dubai’s model is spreading, with cities such as Riyadh, Istanbul, Miami, and Doha seeking to replicate it to compete for global talent.
However, this replication also makes such cities interchangeable. If one falters, another emerges. Elites can move easily, as their real ties lie elsewhere. Dubai has become a hub for conferences, art exhibitions, and events favoured by globally mobile individuals, many of which are now being cancelled, postponed, or moved online, while participants can relocate elsewhere.
The article continued that this new type of city represents a radical break from the past. For most of human history, people lived and worked in the same place, and cities developed around that reality. Cities evolve, rebuild after disasters, grow richer or poorer, but their resilience comes from rootedness and belonging. Saying “I am from New York” or “I am from London” or “I am from Pittsburgh, Detroit, Rome, or Barcelona” conveys a deep sense of identity, history, and meaning.
These identities, though complex and unequal, are essential. They shape how people answer fundamental questions about who they are and where they belong. They drive people to return, remain, and rebuild despite hardship.
This type of identity has deep roots. Long before factories and financial markets, people anchored themselves in place, community, and shared life. Karl Marx described how industrial capitalism alienated workers from their labour and from each other, but there is a deeper form of alienation tied to identity derived from place, homeland, and community. This source of identity is now being torn apart.
The article noted that as mobility increases across borders and cities, so too does the longing for rooted identity. This fracture underpins much of today’s social and political unrest, fuelling populism and tribalism, and driving the search for belonging in local politics, online communities, and virtual worlds. It also appears in the search for neighbourhoods that still offer a sense of belonging, something made clear during the pandemic.
Janan Ganesh, a columnist for the Financial Times, recently argued that Dubai will survive current turmoil precisely because, even if some residents have lived there for centuries, “the part the world sees may be closest to a blank slate.” Such a place imposes no demands on identity or loyalty, echoing urban theorist James Howard Kunstler’s concept of the geography of nowhere. Yet this may also be its fatal flaw, the very quality that makes it useful also makes it ultimately replaceable.
He concluded that Dubai, which emerged from the desert and built its reputation on offering a comfortable life, may be too large to fail. Yet UAE leaders appear aware of the threat to this carefully constructed image. Authorities have asked residents not to share photos or videos of attacks, citing concerns about revealing sensitive locations. The government warned that failure to comply could result in arrest.
