Dubai activists say the city is safer than the US amid attacks in the Middle East
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As the conflict rages on in the Middle East, a popular tourist destination known for its luxury lifestyle and presence of influence has been hit, with defenses blocking incoming missiles and drones.
Dubai-based activists spoke to Fox News Digital about daily life in the city and why they remain comfortable living there amid the ongoing conflict. Former US residents described Dubai as safer than most US cities.
“I always say this: You can carry two million dollars with you in any part of Dubai, nothing will ever happen to you. I don’t think I can do that in a big US city, you know. That would never happen in my mind,” said Mike Babayan.
Mike Babayan, known as “nitrotrades” on Instagram and TikTok, is a social media influencer in the financial world from Los Angeles, who has been living in Dubai since 2020. He used to split his time between LA and Dubai, and now lives in Dubai full time.
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Babayan shared that he felt calm even after the attack. Babayan spoke to Fox News Digital on camera on March 5, and since the interview shared that he still feels safe.
“There’s this idea that what used to be the safest place in the world is no longer safe. But I don’t think anyone really feels like that has really changed.”
The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in the Middle East to evacuate the region as soon as possible as increased conflict and airport closures hamper travel and evacuation efforts. However, the attack on IranClosed embassies and closed flights have created difficulties for Americans who find themselves stuck with few options.
Iran responded to the American and Israeli attacks almost immediately, raining missiles and drones on the United Arab Emirates, and even hit Dubai airport, one of the busiest in the world.
Meanwhile, Babayan said life continues as usual.
“If you look out the window, right now people are walking on the streets, cars are full, you know, life goes on as usual,” he said.
Hofit Golan, however, shared a slightly different opinion. Golan is a longevity and biohacking activist in Dubai, and is of Israeli descent, raised in Canada and the United States. Golan lived in Miami before moving to Dubai in December last year. Golan gave comments to Fox News Digital about his experience in the region.
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Hofit Golan attends the Global Influencers Awards at the Eden Roc Hotel on Dec. 1, 2025, Miami Beach, Florida. (Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Influencers Global Awards)
Golan said Dubai is currently very quiet, and it reminds him of the coronavirus lockdown due to the lack of tourism compared to normal.
Golan said he enjoys the “peace” of Dubai.
“The city is very quiet. It’s a little subdued. But it’s also Ramadan and people are fasting, and it’s a holy time, so they wouldn’t be out on the streets as usual.”
Babayan noted that, “people are calm.”
“Everybody is as calm as can be. You don’t feel that personally, I want to say, whenever you’re in the middle of the city or one of these big places in Dubai. So for you, it feels like life is normal.”
However, the night of the attack was when Babayan described feeling the difference in Dubai.
“It was like midnight, when we heard the border, which was, you know, the first time I heard anything. So to see it on the news, it’s a whole different story compared to seeing it and, you know, just hearing it from someone.”
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On Saturday night, Judith Wilson heard what seemed like thousands of Amber Alerts go off at once in the lobby of the JW Marriott in Dubai. (Judith Wilson)
Babayan lives in the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. He left out of caution but later returned.
“But after that, I just came back, and the next night I said, everything is calm. I don’t see any problems.”
Babayan said that people were asking how he was doing and were falling for the AI-generated videos.
“I even remember that first night I came home, I’m like, I’m sleeping, and I wake up, my phone is blowing up. Like, people say, ‘Yo, your apartment just got hacked,’ and I’m sitting in the apartment like, looking on my phone, people are sending these AI videos. And I’m like, ‘What are you guys talking about?’
Golan, who has also lived in London, described Dubai as the safest place he has ever lived.
“In 24 to 48 hours, two things happened,” Golan said following the attack. “First, I didn’t hear or see many missiles. Second, we started hearing news reports about all the successful interventions of drones and missiles.”
Golan said the government is informing citizens about the situation.
“The government had a system where you would get a text if there was a threat coming in. You were told to seek shelter, avoid the glass windows, and as soon as the threat was reduced you would get another message, like amber alert, saying it’s safe, and you can go, you know, you can leave the shelter.”
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Four people were injured when an Iranian missile hit the Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai, the Dubai Media Office, a government agency, confirmed on Saturday. (Credit: via Storyful)
Golan had a flight scheduled for Feb. 28, which was scheduled before the dispute was cancelled, but he said he did not see any urgency to go if it had been canceled and the strikes.
“I didn’t feel like leaving the first week because it seemed to me that you are safer on earth than you are up in the sky with missiles flying over you,” she said.
As he was driving home, he heard the missiles being intercepted.
“I could see smoke coming from my balcony,” he recalled. “Not long after, like minutes later, we heard the missiles being intercepted.“
Golan said he feels the government is taking care of citizens, including “a very advanced air defense system.”
“If I felt safe before, I feel even more now, because now I know that they have a strong air defense, a strong army, a quick response time, because no one saw that these missiles would come, but they caught them from the beginning.,” Golan said.
The UAE has laws in place where creators can be fined or jailed for what the government considers to be spreading false information. The UAE said, “spreading rumors or unverified information in the UAE is an offense punishable by law.”
According to a report by The Telegraph, Radha Stirling, chief executive of the campaign group Detained In Dubai, said, “almost anything that criticizes government policy or regional conflict can be interpreted as a crime.”
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Foreign workers look at black plumes of smoke rising from an explosion in the industrial area of Fujairah on March 3, 2026. Iran’s strikes on its Gulf neighbors since February 28, following the US-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to close its airport, blinding travelers who thought they were going to one of the region’s safest vacation spots. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
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According to Gulf News, the penalties can be up to one year in prison and a fine of at least Dh100,000. Punishment can be as severe as up to two years in prison and a minimum fine of Dh200,000.
Both Babayan and Golan talked about this.
Golan said, “Actually, I really respect these laws. I think there is a sense in it and I think that other countries can accept that, because freedom of speech is not free, and you need to face the consequences because spreading wrong information or spreading fear or sensitive information during the war can have serious consequences that can help anyone.“
Babayan said, “I’ve always been open-minded,” and he believes all content creators have been.
In addition, the trend is circulating in the social networks of the promoters who post spectacular views of Dubai and the captions that appear, asking: “You live in Dubai, aren’t you afraid? With a follow-up from the creators saying, “No, because I know who is protecting us.”
The names appear above the portraits of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and his son, Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates. This has caused some to wonder if this is a propaganda campaign to promote the image of security in the region, amidst the conflicts.
In the UAE’s dream to prevent the spread of panic and misinformation, Babayan said, “What is actually happening is they just say don’t spread false information..”
Citizens, residents and visitors creating content that includes advertising within the UAE are required to have permission. This includes content creators who promote services or products or paid or free content.
As of Feb. 28, the UAE has intercepted 314 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,672 drones so far, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Eight people were killed in the Iranian attack on the UAE, including two military personnel, according to the UAE Ministry of Defense, published in Reuters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced in a post X that the government “worked[ed] exit plans and facilitation[d] about 500 returns UAE golden visa holders and the inhabitants are lost abroad.”
The post said these actions are “part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents of the UAE, at all times and wherever they may be.”
The UAE has closed its airport On Tuesday after threats from the missile and incoming threats from Iran the jobs were opened soon, Reuters reported.
Fox News’ Amalia Roy and Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
