The Luxury Life of British Expats in Dubai Faces a Reality Check
Sunshine, safety and zero income tax turned the emirate into a second home for many Brits. Now that equation is under pressure.
A tourist group in central Dubai in February.
Photographer: Walaa Alshaer/BloombergOn a trip to Dubai two years ago to review luxury hotels, I found myself at a beach-club brunch surrounded by people with British accents. Groups were debating the merits of different corners of the Clapham neighborhood. If not for the sunshine and the skyline, I could have been home in London.
That’s by design. For more than two decades, Dubai has sold itself to Brits as a shinier alternative to Spain: winter sun without the drizzle — and without income tax. From the 1999 debut of the iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel to the world’s largest man-made island, the Palm Jumeirah, the emirate carefully engineered an image of glamour, safety and ease.