Dubai’s influencer exodus: Stars who have fled the UAE and the ones who are staying put (for now) after being forced to deny Iran drone attacks amid ongoing chaos

Since the US-Israeli war with Iran broke out in February, influencers and reality stars have been using their platforms to vouch for the safety of Dubai as the region continues to plunge into chaos.

When the bombs started, the UAE authorities sent out mass texts to hundreds of thousands of Westerners, issuing dire warnings that nobody was to post anything about the terror raining down on them from the skies: nothing that ‘results in inciting panic among people’.

As a result, it is hard to know exactly how the hundreds of influencers who live there feel about the ongoing conflict, yet in recent weeks many have scrambled to leave the emirate in a bid to secure their continued safety.

Even after claiming that they feel secure knowing that the Dubai government are doing all they can to protect residents, many opted to fly back to the UK.

While celebrities were once attracted to the tax-free salaries and low crime rate, it is no longer proving to be the safe haven that it once promised.

So amid the ongoing conflict, who has fled Dubai and who is still insisting that ‘everything is fine’ as chaos continues to grip the region?

FLED 

Kate and Rio Ferdinand  

Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate returned to the UK this month after moving to the Dubai last summer. 

The former footballer needed to be back in London to film his football podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, while Kate wanted to be with family for Mother’s Day. 

They made the move to Dubai with the footballer’s daughter Tia, 13, from his first marriage to his late wife Rebecca, and their two children together, son Cree, five, and daughter Shae, two.

However, his two eldest sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, remained in the UK.

The Towie star previously said of her move to the UAE: ‘I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot. I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I’m just struggling with that.

‘I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So they’re doing what they want to do otherwise they’d be with us.

‘But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.’

However, this month she made a U-turn on her comments.

While speaking about living in Dubai during Ramadan, Kate explained: ‘The kids have shorter days, my children are going to school from 8:45am and they get picked up at 1pm, so like they’re doing half days.

‘Everything changes, I like the energy, it’s quite calming – not when they kids come back at 1pm by the way – it’s just something that I’ve not experienced before.

‘It’s a different vibe and I feel like living in a country with different religions and so many different cultures, you learn so much and pick up so much.

‘My children are learning things that they wouldn’t… they might learn it in the UK but they wouldn’t actively be living it. That’s something that I really love about Dubai.’

Luisa Zissman 

Former Apprentice star Luisa, who has been vocal in her support for the Dubai government, revealed she had returned to the UK for work with her children.

When the crisis erupted in Dubai earlier this month, Luisa avidly informed followers she was in the ‘safest country in the world’ and ‘everything was fine’, before scarpering back to the UK to her £8million countryside mansion.

Despite insisting her return was planned, Luisa stated she was ‘in her refugee era’ and has now divulged that her dog Crumble is stuck in Dubai – leading to her plea for a companion, however, she then revealed the flight had been cancelled.

Sharing an AI image of Crumble dressed in a soldier’s uniform, she added the caption: ‘No PJ [private jet] for Crumble just been let down (again). He’s ok at the moment and safe and being cared for but I really want him with me’.

Despite her insistence that Dubai was safe, Luisa made her way back to her palatial Grade II-listed Herfordshire manor, set in 2.8 acres of land as the city was ravaged.

She lives with her Irish millionaire husband Andrew Collins and their daughters Indigo, nine, and Clementine, seven, when in Britain.

Her eldest daughter Dixie, 15, remains in the UK while attending boarding school. 

Since moving to Dubai in December, Luisa has been a vocal online cheerleader of the UAE – showing steadfast support despite 12 days of Iranian missile attacks which have left six dead and more than 120 injured.

At the start of the conflict, she insisted the emirate was still the ‘safest country in the world’ despite explosions echoing across the city and a drone strike forcing the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport.

She told followers that despite preparing her basement in case of emergency, she had ‘faith’ that the country’s defence systems would keep residents safe, later adding: ‘Everything is largely fine. When you’re here it’s fine.’

In another post, she added: ‘We’ve had a very nice normal day. We had breakfast – well breakfast/lunch – with some friends…

‘One of my friends is stuck in England so her husband and kids, they’ve been round to ours the last couple of days just seeing how things go.

‘Last night was quite noisy but it’s kind of fine still here at the moment. It’s just not knowing what’s gonna happen next or when it’s going to end.’ 

Despite her insistence, just days later she was back in Britain – flying out of neighbouring Oman after travelling overland across the border. 

Katie Price and Lee Andrews

This week, Katie jetted into war-torn Dubai in order to reunite with her husband Lee, amid whispers that Lee is banned from leaving the UAE.

Lee, who is Katie’s fourth husband, has been accused of being a ‘scammer’ while he has made a host of boasts about his life, including his statement that he is a millionaire businessman and has links to Elon Musk.

Jetting back to the country to be by his side, Katie was thrilled that she had the whole plane cabin to herself.

Standing in the middle of the cabin, there were no other passengers, just two air hostesses in the background.

Mother-of-five Katie, 47, seemed pretty pleased with herself as she stood in the middle of the cabin wearing a white vest top and black Nike leggings.

She wrote: ‘How unreal is this! This whole cabin to myself. Crazy! Dubai here we come! #KatiePrice #comingformyhubby #excited.’

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates.

Moreover, your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the FCDO.

Lee, 42, has maintained that he feels quite safe in the UAE and has insisted he has no plans to leave.

It was claimed British-born Lee spent three weeks locked up in a Dubai jail for allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend’s signature to take out a £200,000 loan in her name and as such, has been banned from leaving the United Arab Emirates.

He denies this, but as yet, does not appear to have left the country since meeting Katie.

Laura Anderson

Laura, 36, said she was ‘praying for safe skies’ after managing to get a flight to Edinburgh out of Dubai amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The former Love Island star took to Instagram earlier this month and revealed she had managed to get a flight out of the UAE along with her two-year-old daughter Bonnie.

Laura had only touched down in Dubai last Friday to visit her sister.

Sharing a photo of her plane before take off, she wrote: ‘We’re on. Although I’m taking each stage very lightly… The airport was quiet as expected. Calm, people were so helpful I felt a bit teary.

‘Praying for safe skies (as I’ve always said when someone flies) it just means more now. Everyone on board is very quiet, I assume on edge a little like me. My dad’s favourite song just came on so I’m feeling positive.

‘Thank you to the UAE government for protecting us and continuing to protect my friends and family. I will always be proud to have been an expat.’

Laura is now back in Scotland with her mother and daughter, where she spent Mother’s Day on Sunday.

After returning to the UK, Laura shared a post and said she was hoping to ‘see all of her dear friends soon’ and told them ‘you’re doing so well’.

Sam Gowland 

Around the same time as Laura, Sam revealed he managed to get a flight out of Dubai after previously trying three times to leave.

In his fourth attempt at fleeing the city, Sam, 30, said he was on a first class Emirates flight to Mauritius. 

‘For everyone saying there’s no flights out of Dubai and laughing at me… I’ve got through check in and I’m in the lounge waiting to board’, he said.

‘Don’t wanna get too excited to soon but I think I might be onto somet!! Will let you know in the next 30 mins!!’

Sharing photos of his luxury first class suite, Sam shared his flight went ahead.

In a further update, he added: ‘And we’re on!! Dubai [to] Mauritius.

‘Massive thanks to the UAE government for protecting us & continuing to do so absolutely incredible the job they are doing as they always are [sic]’.

Earlier in the day, the former Love Islander revealed he was making his fourth attempt to leave Dubai.

The Love Islander shared a video of himself preparing to leave for the airport with a caption that said: ‘Last night’s flight again cancelled for the third time, somehow managed to find another one for 10am this morning! Fourth time lucky, let’s see.’

At this point, missile strikes and suicide drones had rocked the Middle East for five days.

Just days before the strikes began, Sam revealed he was planning on selling his newly-built Dubai mansion for an eye-popping £2million.

The reality star turned property magnate spoke out again about the missiles shortly after hitting back at comments from vile trolls, who he claimed revelled in the catastrophe and wished ill upon him.

Petra Ecclestone

Despite vocally advocating for how they safe felt in Dubai, Petra Ecclestone and her husband Sam Palmer also jetted out of the city earlier this month.

The socialite, who is the daughter of F1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone, left the city on March 6 via business class on a commercial flight with Sam and her four children. 

She is one of many influencers who left after more commercial flights began operating out of the UAE, yet Petra insisted in an Instagram post that she was not trying to ‘escape’. 

Petra, 37, claimed she was only leaving the city in order to get into London in time for her daughter Lavinia, 13, to take part in a horse show in Europe. 

Sharing snaps with her family at the airport, Petra reflected on her time in the Middle East, writing: ‘Two months since we packed up our lives and moved to Dubai. ✈️

‘It hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as we imagined, and there have definitely been a few unexpected hurdles along the way. But as always, we faced them together as a family and got through it.’

Yet she insisted that the ongoing missile strikes had nothing to do with her decision to leave, adding: ‘ I also want to clear something up – we didn’t ‘escape’ because of the circumstances people have been speculating about. 

‘It was simply the only flight we could get that would get us there in time for Lavinia’s horse shows in Europe.

‘One thing we’re very grateful for is how much Dubai puts safety first – and how welcomed and safe it has made us feel during this transition.’

Petra, who shares Lavinia and 10-year-old twins Andrew and James with her ex-husband James Stunt, and daughter Minnie, five, with husband Sam, later shared snaps of the family back in London. 

She penned: ‘Home in my heart, and full of the childhood memories that raised me.’ 

Earlier in the week, Petra revealed her fear in Dubai telling her followers: ‘We came to Dubai to feel safe, and we finally felt like we were settling in, and now this has happened.’

Yet she later had a change of heart, posting on her Stories: ‘This is what safety feels like. This is what resilience looks like. This is UAE.’

Petra and Sam currently appear to be holidaying in Italy and are yet to return to their Dubai home. 

Sophia Peschisolido

Karren Brady’s daughter Sophia, 28, relocated to Dubai in 2021 where she has raised her young family with her husband Frankie Makin.

During their time in the UAE they have welcomed sons Leo, two, and six-month-old George, and are seemingly very settled in the country.

Sophia and Frankie revealed in September that they were planning to sell their Dubai villa, however it was seemingly only to make room for their new addition to the family.

Posting on social media, the expectant mother revealed she’s asking for 7million AED, which is equivalent to £1.4million.

She captioned her video: ‘With another baby arriving very shortly, we are now considering offers for our villa, (priced at) 7m AED. Any more info please get in touch.’

But following the outbreak of the war, Sophia is another resident who has hotfooted it back to the UK, and is currently in London.

Lindsay Lohan 

After assuring her followers that she was safe and well in Dubai, Lindsay opted to return to the States last week. 

The 39-year-old actress – who recently appeared on the cover for Vogue Arabia – was spotted in New York alongside husband Bader Shammas and their son Luai after fleeing the UAE. 

Amid the conflict in the Middle East, Lindsay took to Instagram to share a message and simply penned to her followers, ‘Praying for peace. Stay safe everyone. God bless us all.’

Shortly after, an insider told the Daily Mail that Lindsay’s loved ones in the United States were ‘concerned’ for the star.

‘There’s a lot going on over there,’ the source said. ‘The family has been in constant communication. Right now, she’s safe.’

Another insider said that Lindsay ‘has been really comfortable in Dubai’ and had remained calm under other stressful situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

But it was noted by the source that it is still ‘a scary time for everyone, including Lindsay.’

Taylor Ward

Five days after the war broke out social media influencer Taylor was quick to assure her followers that the missile strikes and suicide drones were ‘in the past now’. 

The WAG was quick to insist that all was well, yet this week, Taylor became the latest star to flee the country – jetting to France. 

Taylor revealed her eldest daughter Mila was with her as she shared a snap of her in the cockpit before touching down at Courchevel ski resort. It’s not known whether her four-month-old son Khayri was on board. 

The mother-of-two moved to the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah in 2023 when her husband Riyad Mahrez booked a lucrative £30million move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

They now split their time between a vast mansion in Jeddah and Dubai, where Taylor’s Real Housewives of Cheshire star mum Dawn Ward lives.

Earlier this month, Taylor insisted all was fine in Dubai as she uploaded a series of Instagram Stories apologising for her ‘radio silence’ and gushed it’s ‘onwards and upwards’.

As she applied her morning skincare, Taylor told her three million followers: ‘I think by now everybody has seen on the news and everywhere else what has been going on in Dubai so I won’t bore you all with going over all that again.’

‘For those who are here that is obviously super scary and it is not a nice situation to be in at all. I am pretty confident that is all in the past now, and we will move on with our lives so onwards and upwards.’

Taylor insisted that despite messages from fans asking if she planned to move back from the Middle East ‘I feel like it’s had the opposite effect.’

‘If anything it’s actually restored my trust in the government here and how amazing they are at keeping their people safe and looking after everyone.’

‘The fact that what happened happened and they only managed to have such minor injuries and fatalities I actually think that is amazing. I’m just hoping that’s all in the past now.’

The influencer, who earns an estimated $9,000 per month from her Instagram account, then swiftly moved on to her review for a skincare gadget as she continued with her Get Ready With Me video.

Taylor, who was born and raised in Manchester, was vocally against her family’s move to Jeddah when her husband broke the news of his new contract three years ago.

STAYED… FOR NOW 

HSTikkyTokky

Notorious social media star HSTikkyTokky has insisted all is well in Dubai, claiming that there were ‘no bombs’ flying over Dubai – hours after another drone attack suspended flights at Dubai airport. 

Harrison Sullivan, 24, who is better known as HSTikkyTokky, this week posted a video on social media where he encouraged his followers to ‘come here’ because ‘Dubai is the best city in the world’.

The notoriously misogynist bodybuilder who appeared on Louis Theroux’s documentary about the manosphere, said: ‘What you’re hearing online right now about Dubai is a perfect example of why you should never trust the internet. It’s just total misinformation.

‘There are no bombs coming over.

‘This is the best city in the world to be at. So when you’re seeing people online and on Twitter saying everything’s shut down, it’s not.

‘I’m literally here right now living with my mum, eating the same food I ate before not one bomb has come over.

‘Everything is popping. Dubai is the best city in the world. Come here.’

Jamelia

British singer Jamelia relocated to Dubai with her daughters in March 2024 to ‘start a new chapter and focus on family life’.

The family wanted a fresh start after Jamelia was left to raise her children alone after her ex-partner walked out in 2022.

Previously speaking about the move, she said: ‘I’ve been single for three years. ‘And I’m not even going to talk about him, because he’s irrelevant. It’s just me and the four girls.

‘I started my single mother journey in the UK, but then I just said, ‘I’m not doing this, I’m not doing this by myself’.’

Jamelia has spoken positively about her move and even praised the UAE after the strikes began, sharing her experience with her fans a couple of weeks ago. 

She said: ‘I won’t go as far as saying it was a normal day in the neighbourhood – but I will say this… I have felt nothing but pride for the place I call home.

‘I was here for the storms in 2024, and once again I’ve been so impressed by the UAE’s commitment to making us feel safe, even in the most uncertain moments. The speed, the organisation, the reassurance – it doesn’t go unnoticed.

‘As a mother of four girls, safety isn’t a luxury for me – it’s everything. Of course there have been moments where my heart beat a little faster. Moments where I checked on them twice, But those moments were short lived, because what surrounded us was calm, structure, and care.

‘And in the quiet, I can’t help but think about the millions of people around the world who face situations like this without the privilege of this security. Without the option of ‘I’ll just get on the first flight out.’ Without the comfort of knowing that the loud sound overhead means protection and not danger. That perspective stays with you.

‘I feel blessed. Blessed to feel safe. Blessed that my children feel safe. Blessed to witness true community spirit, neighbours checking in, messages flying back and forth, that unspoken sense that we’ve got each other.

‘It reminded me that safety is not something to be taken lightly. Community is not something to overlook. And gratitude should never be an afterthought. We are the lucky ones. Alhamdulillah.’

Arabella Chi

Arabella has been continuing with her day to day life in Dubai despite reports of ‘rising panic’ among other expats rushing to flee the Gulf state.

The former Love Island star, 35, moved to the to the UAE last year and was left terrified in the early days of the missile strikes in the region, initially telling her 1.2million followers how she was planning to ‘hide her family in a storage cupboard’ after clearing it out as a precautionary shelter for her brood.

But a day later the Influencer was back to regular content, and has spent the last week posting pictures from her romantic evenings out with her boyfriend Billy Henty and lounging by the pool with her baby daughter Gigi.

On Sunday Arabella hit the beach, snapping a series of photos with her daughter as she caught some sun in a white bikini. She captioned the carousel of carefree photos ‘sandy toes,’ making no mention of the ongoing unrest in her home city.

Arabella, who last week revealed why she still won’t move back to the UK, is one of the many famous faces who have continued to paint Dubai in a positive light, after the US-Israel war against Iran sparked chaos in the UAE.

Amir Khan

Boxer Amir moved to Dubai in 2022 following a terrifying gunpoint robbery which left him feeling too scared to stay in Britain.

The I’m A Celeb star was targeted for his £72,000 Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph watch as he dined with his wife Faryal Makhdoom and friend Omar Khalid at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, east London.

An armed robber ran at Khan and yelled at him to ‘take off the watch’, while pointing a gun to his face.

Amir has not commented publicly on the current crisis in the Middle East. 

His wife Faryal alluded to the upset on Thursday as she posted a meme that read: ‘everything will be ok in the end’.

She also reposted a quote saying: ‘This Eid feels different. Not every heart is celebrating, some are simply surviving. Ya Allah, grant ease to every heart that is silently hurting.’

Kady McDermott

Love Island star Kady moved to Dubai last year and has been sharing regular snaps of her life abroad. 

While her recent photographs don’t allude to any unease, she did address the conflict in a post condemning those who had abandoned their pets while fleeing Dubai.

In an Instagram Story earlier this month, Kady reposted: ‘People fleeing Dubai after the recent drone and missile strikes are abandoning their pets.

‘Animal shelters and vets say they’re being flooded with requests to euthanize healthy cats and dogs because owners can’t take them when they leave!’

Kady added: ‘I would genuinely stay through a war zone in order to stay with my dogs. People knock me sick!!!!’

The reality star previously revealed that she splashed out more than £3,000 to fly her dog business class with her to Dubai. 

‘So it is expensive but he’s worth it,’ she told fans. ‘I could never ever move anywhere without bringing my little man with me.’

Hofit Golan

Israeli socialite Hofit Golan moved to Dubai in December and revealed she was left terrified and hiding in her bath when the war broke out and she witnessed an Iranian missile hit Dubai’s famous Palm Jumeirah hotel.

Hofit recalled: ‘I heard loud explosions and I thought “I can’t believe it I am in the safest city in the world and I can’t believe this is happening”.

‘Of course I am frightened. It is a natural reaction. The UAE is supposed to be one of the safest places.

‘You see it (explosions) in front of your balcony. You see fireworks usually but that’s a different kind of lighting of the skies.

‘So, in the back of your head it is like what is going to happen at night? Are we all going to be able to sleep?

‘You kind of black out a little bit. I haven’t caught my breath yet. I feel a bit shocked, a little overwhelmed and exhausted.

‘They (The UAE) are successfully intercepting the missiles and doing their job well, but of course it is a human natural emotion to be like “oh gosh oh my god”, that is where I am at.

‘I did not see anyone get hurt or hear shouting. I can’t think straight. I am just processing the emotions. It’s kind of surreal.

‘We have been getting reports that they are shutting down the tourist places and we’re being told to stay indoors and stay away from windows,’ she added.

However, days later she insisted Dubai ‘still feels like a very safe place’, before sharing a glimpse of the ‘quiet and calm’ neighbourhood as fellow expats returned to the beach.

She said: ‘I’m exhausted, I didn’t sleep much last night, all the alarms going off and the sound effects of what is going on outside. But that said, I feel OK, I feel safe, we’re safe.’

‘Everybody I have spoke to safe. I still feel like this is a very safe place, and I am very grateful to be here’.

She captioned the post: ‘Thank you for your messages and concern. I am safe and everyone I spoke to is safe. Just very tired because got no sleep with all that’s going on’.

Later filming the view from her balcony, she said: ‘The Palm is calm and still just, it is the beautiful perfect day actually, its beautiful and so calm, there’s people on the beach. Just the sound of breeze and nothing else’. 

In an Instagram Q&A on Thursday, Hofit was asked if she thought whether Dubai would ‘remain safe in the coming weeks’, to which she replied: ‘There’s a danger in any place you go to. 

‘Right now Dubai is more quiet than usual, but this situation will pass and I still think it’s one of the safest places you can be. 

‘For example, I had a girlfriend leave Dubai when the war broke out to London. upon arriving, the next day she got robbed! That would not happen here. 

‘We’re all extra careful here right now, but generally I still feel extremely safe.’