Gulf expats hunker down between bouts of war

Six months into the Middle East war, foreign workers and expatriates in the Gulf have largely remained in their positions, awaiting the uncertainty brought on by the conflict. The majority of the oil-rich Gulf states' population consists of foreigners from the Global South, forming the backbone of the economy as they work as high-end consultants, manual laborers, healthcare professionals, and more.

The prospect of earning higher salaries and being untaxed in the Gulf has long been a dream for those fortunate enough to secure visas and employment. However, the war, which has claimed 41 lives in the Gulf, has significantly disrupted many lives. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's service and tourism sectors have faced layoffs and salary cuts, while schools have shifted to remote learning periodically.

In Kuwait, people skipped their summer holidays to avoid the risk of being stranded abroad due to air travel disruptions. Most individuals have chosen to weather the storm, regardless of the challenges. A Syrian woman in her 30s, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that she stayed because she had no other choice; the opportunities in Dubai are incomparable to those in Syria's devastated economy.

"Dubai is the place to be, to be secure, to hustle, to make money, to save — and that opportunity is not provided back home," she explained. Many others from the Global South working in the Gulf share similar sentiments, as their parents back in Syria rely on their monthly remittances to make ends meet. Early in the war, the UAE was the primary target of Iran, with nearly 3,000 drones and missiles directed at the country.

Despite the onslaught, the UAE managed to shoot down the majority of the projectiles, but the war caused a ripple effect, with over 60,000 residents leaving Dubai in March. However, the population rebounded to 4.73 million by July, surpassing pre-war numbers. In Bahrain's capital, Manama, Indian waiter Rabin Sharma chose to stay despite the war's onset, as he had to return to his job.

Some families have opted to move dependents back home while the breadwinner stays behind to continue earning money, as one Egyptian engineer living in Kuwait explained. As the US-Iran truce unraveled, regular barrages of missiles and drones targeted the tiny Gulf nations of Kuwait and Bahrain in July, causing repeated attacks on their airports, water desalination plants, and power plants.

Amro Hussein, another Egyptian, fled Kuwait with his family after a drone struck a nearby building in the middle of the night. After four months, the family, who had lived in Kuwait for 12 years, decided to return together, despite the ongoing risks. Back in Dubai, Darly Lanzuela, 33, described returning to the Philippines as inconceivable, emphasizing that she makes 10 times more working in a mall in the Gulf.

For her, staying in Dubai is the best way to secure her children's future and provide them with a better education.