The Global Story: Can Dubai’s luxe image survive the war with Iran?

The Global Story: Can Dubai’s luxe image survive the war with Iran?

Author: BBC World Service September 13, 2026 Duration: 27:53

As the summer holiday season draws to a close, foreigners travelling to and from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are facing delays, cancellations and severe travel warnings. The disruption comes as a result of the UAE’s position in the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Throughout the conflict, Iran has attacked the UAE more times than any other country, including Israel.

Until the war with Iran began, Dubai was a major tourist destination, famous for its modern skyscrapers, luxurious beaches and low crime rate. For decades, the Gulf city has promised residents and tourists alike safety, security and stability – so has that promise fallen apart? And what could that mean for the city’s future?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid speaks to Sameer Hashmi, an independent journalist based in Dubai, about how Brand Dubai is weathering a major regional war.

The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.


Staying informed means navigating a constant stream of events, and the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service provides a grounded, thorough digest of that flow. This isn't just a headline service; it's a twice-daily briefing that situates you within the day's most pressing stories, particularly focusing on complex, unfolding situations. Right now, that means dedicated coverage from across the Middle East, including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and the Gulf states, offering clarity on regional dynamics and their global implications. Alongside that essential regional focus, the podcast consistently pulls back for a wider lens, bringing reports and context from every corner of the world. What you'll hear is the BBC's signature blend of on-the-ground reporting and measured expert analysis, all designed to build understanding rather than just summarize events. For a reliable, in-depth audio briefing that updates each weekday morning and evening, this podcast delivers a comprehensive picture of our world as it happens.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Global News Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Israel hits back at sanctions on settlers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:33
The Israeli government takes retaliatory action after Britain, France and Canada impose sanctions on illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced countermeasures incl…
UK sanctions Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:20
Twelve countries ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; Britain's Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, says plans to build thousands of new homes there are unacceptable. Also: Canada's imposes retaliato…
West Bank parents fear after settler attacks on school [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:35
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are terrified for their children's lives at school after an increase in attacks by Jewish extremist settlers. Three pupils at a school south of Nablus have been killed since April.…
Merz: Germany faces 'tectonic shift' after AfD victory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Friedrich Merz says the decisive win in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt by the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, signals the need for a major reckoning. The AfD's national co-leader, Alice Weidel, says it's aimi…
Historic win for far-right in Germany [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is heading for a dramatic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Although it is projected to fall short of a majority, the AfD say…
US brings 'proposal to end war' to Russia and Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
The US is bringing a "proposal to end the war" to Russia and Ukraine - but hopes for progress towards peace are not high. President Trump's top envoys are visiting Kyiv after a "constructive" meeting with Vladimir Putin…
Clancy trial ends in deadlock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
After a week of deliberation, jurors have failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children. The 12-person jury was made up of nine…
The Happy Pod: Record pig kidney transplant brings hope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:27
A man in the US has survived for a record nine months with a kidney from a genetically modified pig, bringing hope to transplant patients across the world. 66-year-old Tim Andrews went on to receive a human donor kidney…
Two men rescued from tunnel in Nepal, nine days after flood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
Rescue crews in Nepal have freed two workers from a blocked hydropower tunnel, nine days after they were trapped by debris from flash floods that devastated an area on the border with Tibet. Shortly after the two survivo…
Funerals held for Palestinian teenagers killed in occupied West Bank [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:15
Funerals have been held for two Palestinian teenagers killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the village of Al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank. Israel's military said its forces had fired at instigators of a "vio…