Despite Foreign Minister Penny Wong urging Australians residing in the Middle East to return home, many expatriates have no intention of leaving. They argue that the Western world has often misrepresented the realities of their cherished Gulf region.
Among these expatriates is Jessica Stephens, an Australian-born real estate broker who saw the United Arab Emirates as a “land of opportunity.” With aspirations to advance her career, she booked a one-way ticket to Dubai, captivated by the city’s diverse social scene, which hosts people from over 200 nationalities.
Stephens has been living contentedly on the Persian Gulf coast since 2024, embracing the vibrant lifestyle and opportunities the city offers.
However, recent events have cast a shadow over the region. In late February, Dubai found itself in the midst of a series of air strikes as tensions escalated in the Gulf. Despite these challenges, Stephens and many others remain determined to stay, committed to their lives and careers in this dynamic environment.
Stephens has lived comfortably on the Persian Gulf coast since 2024.
When air strikes began in the Gulf region in late February, Dubai was targeted by a campaign of offensives.
About 1700 missiles and drones have been fired at the Emirates so far, according to the UAE defence ministry.
The airspace was promptly shut, leaving tens of thousands of Australian travellers stranded.
Flights resumed a few days later, and many scrambled to land a coveted ticket out of the warzone.
Stephens, however, was not one of them.
“For the first few days of course, I was a little bit nevous and a little bit anxious, it was an unfamiliar situation,” she said.
“But I had complete faith in the UAE government from the very beginning.
“From day one, I never had any reason for concern.”
Around 3600 Australians have returned home from the Middle East since the conflict began â most of them tourists who became caught in transit.
But Wong yesterday issued a direct message for expats living in the region.
“I would speak to the Australians, the expats who live in the Middle East: our view, our advice is if you can secure a seat on a commercial flight, you should take it,” Wong said.
“Please do not wait until it is too late.”
This message is likely going unheeded by thousands of expats like Stephens, who said everyone is feeling “safe”.
She is “more than happy” to leave the seats on repatriation flights for unwitting Australian travellers stuck in limbo.
“We are not in a rush to go home,” Stephens added.
“All of my Australian friends here, my Australian clients, everyone I have spoken to, have not felt the need to return home.
“We are feeling very safe, we know this will come to an end, hopefully very soon.
“We just want the Australian community to know we are safe and well and to not worry.”
Stephens said her day-to-day life has now largely returned to normal, though the number of property viewings has slowed following the flight ban.
Hutchinson said he has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property mostly to Australian expats like himself.
“Financially, it’s been life-changing for me,” he told Nine.com.au.
While the immediate aftermath of the early strikes required “caution”, Hutchinson said he never felt unsafe in Dubai.
It didn’t cross his mind to book a flight back to Australia either.
“Dubai is home,” he said.
“Whilst caution has been needed, the situation has not been as bad as some media outlets have portrayed.”
Hutchinson said the days following the retaliatory strikes were a little like COVID-19 in Melbourne.
Residents were urged to stay indoors and work from home.
“This was only for a few days, then the majority of the private sector returned to working from the office,” he said.
As for any negative sentiment towards expats in Dubai who came to reap the benefits of the tax-free haven, Hutchinson said some portrayals of his lifestyle have been “unfair”.
Some expats, including influencers and entrepreneurs, have copped backlash online for either not mentioning the conflict or becoming citizen journalists.
“It is very unfair to penalise people or have a negative attitude towards people who moved to Dubai in search of creating a better life for themselves,” he added.
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