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Arab Gulf states have also been economically battered by the Iran War. The International Monetary Fund slashed its projection of the UAE's economic growth this year to 3%. That is half of what it was last year. In Dubai, tourism has dried up, and many of the city's wealthy have left for now. Dubai is also home to millions of low paid foreigners with no choice but to stay and keep working. NPR's Aya Batrawy reports.
AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: It's evening rush hour on Dubai's driverless metro that runs high above ground.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: The next station is Onpassive.
BATRAWY: Below is a parallel world, a 12-lane highway where Bugattis and Lamborghinis speed past modern skyscrapers.
Several metro stops past touristy areas like the Dubai Mall and the world's tallest tower is the Al Rigga station.
So it's really busy out here, and, you know, it's all different types of nationalities. These are the people that keep the restaurants running and the hotels and just all these different facets of life here in Dubai.
It's also where you can find sweet, milky tea called karak chai for just one dirham and 50 fils. That is about maybe $0.50.
And it's where I meet a group of women passing out flyers for a nearby salon.
Where are you ladies from?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: From UG, Uganda.
BATRAWY: Peoples' salaries here have been hurt by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The United Arab Emirates was attacked by more than 2,800 Iranian missiles and drones in the war. Most were intercepted, but it pummeled the economy, tourism and businesses across the board.
Are you getting the same salary now as you did, like, two months ago?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: No, we have different.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Because of this issue for missiles.
BATRAWY: And just then, one of the women interjects to say...
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: They will catch you.
BATRAWY: There's a nervous atmosphere here about talking openly about the war. Police in the UAE have arrested hundreds for posting videos online of Iran's attacks and for comments that contradict official statements about security. Many here agree to talk only on condition of anonymity. This woman from Uganda says she's making $600 a month now, about 100 less than her usual.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Because people are not coming the way they used to come before because of this issue. Yeah.
BATRAWY: Are you worried about the future at all?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Yeah, I'm worried about the future, but I know very soon, everything will be OK in Dubai.
BATRAWY: And that message that Dubai will weather the storm is part of a broader wartime campaign splashed on billboards and store fronts that says, in the UAE, everyone is Emirati. But the reality for the 9 million people here who aren't Emirati is that visas are tied to employment, which is uncertain these days. I ask a man from Sudan, a country embroiled in civil war, if he's worried about job security.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: Of course. What is going on around you now, all the region now, is burning.
BATRAWY: He says, he's raised his six kids in this country. They only know the UAE, but he adds...
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #6: My job is OK now, so far.
BATRAWY: A Filipino woman walks by carrying heavy bags of groceries.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: See my food, ready to cook. Don't have time for...
BATRAWY: Yeah, so canned food and the noodles.
She's a sales supervisor with young kids back in the Philippines who rely on her remittances after she's covered her rent and food here, but sales are down, and her company cut her hours. How much income has she lost, I ask.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: Maybe half.
BATRAWY: She's picked up a second job as a cleaner.
Basically, you're making less. You're able to send less back home. You have to budget yourself. Are you worried or just tired?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #7: Worried and tired (laughter).
BATRAWY: For anxious foreign workers with few options, Dubai still carries promise, even in times of war. Aya Batrawy, NPR News, Dubai.
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