The Iranian attacks on Dubai and the closure of its airport have sparked a rush among the wealthy to leave the emirate via private jets and overland routes. Drones and missiles, fired in response to US and Israel strikes on Iran, damaged the airport and struck several high-profile hotels and landmarks, putting the normally glitzy city on edge.
The UAE defence ministry said it had continued intercepting incoming missiles and drones on Monday, as the country announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran amid the widening regional war. Some in Dubai have headed for Oman, a four-and-a-half-hour drive, where Muscat airport continues to operate, albeit with delays. The majority of commercial flights from Muscat to Europe are fully booked until later this week, according to booking sites.
Prices for private jets from Muscat have surged, driven by soaring demand and the difficulty of securing planes in the volatile region. JetVip, a Muscat-based private jet brokerage, told the Guardian that a flight to Istanbul on a Nextant now costs about €85,000 (£74,000), roughly three times the usual rate. Seats on private charters to Moscow are going for about €20,000 per person. Several private jet companies said they were currently unable to deploy aircraft because of the difficulty of positioning fleets in the Middle East.
Others looking to leave the UAE have opted for the 10-hour drive to Riyadh, whose airport remains operational. Semafor reported that private security companies had been booking fleets of SUVs to ferry clients to the Saudi capital before arranging onward private flights. Ameerh Naran, the chief executive of the private jet brokerage Vimana Private Jets, told the outlet that flights from Riyadh to Europe were now costing up to $350,000.
The disruption has triggered a political storm in Italy after the defence minister, Guido Crosetto, flew home on Monday on an Italian government aircraft, drawing criticism as hundreds of other Italians remained stranded in Dubai. Crosetto was accused of being in Dubai on holiday with his family when the US-Israel war on Iran began. He has said he paid for the flight himself and returned to Italy alone, leaving his family in Dubai.
For most tourists, however, the only option is to hunker down in Dubai. Confusion mounted on Monday over operations at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, with conflicting reports about departures, cancellations and when flights might resume. Major airlines, including Emirates, flydubai and Etihad, announced they would resume a limited number of flights, mainly to help repatriate stranded passengers. Dubai’s tourist board has instructed local hotels not to evict tourists who are unable to leave the country because of mass flight cancellations, and to extend their stays on the same terms as their original bookings.
