Caroline Stanbury Returns to Dubai, Declaring 'No Place Like Home'
British socialite and reality television star Caroline Stanbury has made a triumphant return to Dubai with her husband Sergio Carrallo, emphatically stating that "there's no place like home." The couple had been stranded in the United States since early February due to regional airspace closures following Iranian retaliatory missile strikes.
Stranded Abroad by Middle East Conflict
Caroline Stanbury, 49, and her husband Sergio Carrallo, 31, had left their Dubai residence so Caroline could film the latest series of the American version of The Traitors. Their planned return was abruptly halted when commercial airspace across the Gulf region was shut down after missile strikes, leaving Caroline's 16-year-old twin sons, Zack and Aaron, in Dubai with their father and her ex-husband, investment banker Cem Habib.
Over the weekend, the couple finally managed to secure a flight back to their adopted home city. They shared a video documenting their journey, captioned "There is no place like home," which showed Caroline enjoying champagne in business class as she expressed excitement about reuniting with her children.
A Calm Return to Normalcy
Upon landing in Dubai, Caroline admitted to a brief moment of panic during the flight but quickly reassured herself. "Everything is kind of in your head," she reflected. "We did panic the last five minutes and everyone else was so calm. It feels so good. I was going crazy, home is home."
As airport staff loaded their substantial luggage into their car, Caroline marveled at the seamless luxury of her return. "It's so nice to land and be looked after. I definitely know why I live in Dubai," she told the camera.
Driving through the city, Sergio pointed out the apparent normalcy. "Look at how normal everything looks, full of people everywhere on the roads. Life is absolutely normal here." Caroline echoed his sentiment, adding, "I'm so happy. The biggest concern right now is that I'm in a group chat about whether it's going to rain tonight. Literally nothing else, life in Dubai is absolutely perfect."
The video concluded with the couple relaxing in pajamas in their luxurious Dubai home, happily reunited with their beloved dogs.
Controversial Comments on Regional Conflict
While stranded in Los Angeles earlier this month, Caroline made controversial remarks about the Middle East conflict on her podcast, Uncut and Uncensored. She described the situation in Dubai as "crazy" and acknowledged that constant missile alerts were "not good for your nervous system." However, she suggested the conflict might have a silver lining by correcting what she called an "ugly" influx of expats.
"I feel like I'm going home to maybe a different Middle East... maybe things will slow down a bit, but I actually don't think that's bad," she said. "I think there needed to be a little bit of a correction because everybody was coming. And when that happens, you get the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think some of the ugly needed to go and I'm not unhappy about that. Not to mention the traffic."
Dubai as a Safe Haven
Caroline, who has called Dubai home for nearly 12 years after moving there with her then-husband Cem Habib, strongly defended her choice to remain in the region. "I know that people are second-guessing choices, like, will I feel okay to go back to the Middle East?" she said. "I love America. I work here. It's given me so many good opportunities and memories, but I don't consider it safer than living where I live, the Middle East. In fact, I would say the Middle East where I am is still safer than America today."
She acknowledged the disruption caused by missile alerts but emphasized that Dubai itself had suffered no real damage. "There has been no real damage in Dubai but it can't be much fun sleeping all night and getting these alarms that go off on the phone to let you know that there's been another missile attack. That's not good for your nervous system."
Commitment to Her Adopted Home
The reality star, originally from London and educated at prestigious institutions including Westonbirt boarding school and King's College London, expressed unwavering attachment to Dubai. "I'm very, very attached to the city. So no, I won't be moving even after this," she declared. "My home is there. My children are there. My life is there. I love it. I really love waking up in the sun. I love the way it makes me feel. I love the opportunity that gives me to be my best self."
Caroline also denied rumors that she is paid by the Emirati government to promote the country. "I keep hearing these things like the government pay me... the government doesn't pay me anything. I don't even know if the government particularly knows I exist at this point. I'm definitely not paid to say all this. It is just the actual truth."
From London Socialite to Dubai Entrepreneur
Before relocating to Dubai, Caroline was a prominent figure in London's upper-class social scene, born into wealth as the daughter of venture capitalist Anthony Stanbury and Elizabeth Stanbury, who is connected to the wealthy Vestey dynasty. She contrasted her experiences in both cities, noting that in Dubai she felt she had truly earned her success.
"Working in London and getting to where I was, there was always this feeling of like, she was handed it, she didn't work for it, she's lucky. And that just doesn't exist in the Middle East," she explained. "I proved [that] to everyone because when I got to the Middle East, I didn't know anyone. So no one's given me a hand up. No one's making it easy for me and no one's handing me anything."
She credited Dubai's tax-free status with enabling her entrepreneurial success. "It gave me energy because I didn't have to give half of my money away to tax. I didn't have to worry about these things. So I had excess money to start businesses."
Personal Setbacks Amid Global Tensions
The conflict has personally impacted Caroline, forcing her to postpone her milestone 50th birthday celebration planned for April. "That kind of got kaput too because I had planned the biggest party and it was a really big deal for me to do my 50th, for so many reasons," she lamented. "One, because 50 is a milestone and I feel great. I had all the people I cared about coming. I had amazing singers, I had the perfect venue, I had caviar in balls. It was just going to be amazing."
She now plans to reschedule the event for September, hoping to celebrate with approximately 190 guests, including family and friends, while honoring her personal achievements.
Caroline Stanbury first gained fame as an original cast member on Bravo's Ladies of London from 2014 to 2017 before joining the inaugural cast of The Real Housewives of Dubai in 2022. She divorced Cem Habib in 2019 after 15 years of marriage and married Spanish former footballer Sergio Carrallo in 2021.
