Panicked Brits fleeing Dubai are reportedly asking estate agents to find £ 5,000-per-week rentals in London. Property experts have said UK nationals are scrambling to return as the emirate continues to come under attack from Iran.

Overnight, a drone strike sparked a blaze in Dubai Creek Harbour. Iran targeted Dubai International Airport again on Wednesday, wounding four people. The continued Iranian attacks have undermined the image of Dubai as a stable tax haven, which had attracted scores of wealthy Brits until the US and Israel went to war against the Islamic Republic on February 28.

Rosy Khalastchy, head of Beauchamp Estates St John’s Wood office, told The Times more people were looking for a way out.

She said: “They’ve had a bit of a shock in thinking they’re in a safe haven, when suddenly they’re not.”

Will Watson from property agency, The Buying Solution, said three Dubai-based clients he is helping want luxury, short-term, four-bedroom rents in Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill or Holland Park at over £5,000 per week.

He said a client who runs an FX currency trading business with an office in Dubai has younger staff who want to come back to Britain.

Before the Iranian attacks, Dubai commanded a leading position as a wealth hub, with the number of millionaires living in the emirate doubling over the past decade, according to Henley & Partners.

Knight Frank reported in January that Dubai’s residential market hit fresh records in 2025, driven by “substantial” growth in sales volumes and values.

Sales of “ultra-luxury” homes priced at $10million-plus reached historic highs last year, cementing Dubai’s status as a “top-tier” global destination for ultra-high net worth individuals, according to Knight Frank.

But Camilla Dell at buying agency Black Brick said the war was a reminder that the United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is in a “very volatile” region and there is no freedom of speech.

Jo Eccles, founder and managing director of buying agency Eccord, told the Evening Standard everyone is watching developments very closely.

She told the publication: “People will inevitably start to question whether they want their capital tied up there long term and whether it’s a safe place to live and raise a family.

“In similar situations in the past, we have seen a flight to safety.”