The thought of leaving Dubai fills Kiran Ali with dread.

Ali, a Washington, DC, import who works in enterprise sales at a data streaming company, moved to Dubai in March 2024.

Speaking to Business Insider on Tuesday, she said she'll only leave Dubai if it becomes dangerous for her two young kids.

"Dubai is the most fulfilled and happy I have been in my adult life," she told Business Insider. "I have an incredible career, a purpose in community organizing, and great work life balance."

For more than two decades, Dubai has marketed itself as a safe haven for expats with zero income tax, high salaries, and a luxury lifestyle.

But the US and Israel's strikes on Iran over the weekend have thrown the Middle East into turmoil and raised questions about Dubai's future as a business, tourism, and expat hub.

Some of the expats on the ground, however, aren't giving up on their expat dream so easily.

Stephanie Baker, a property investment specialist from the UK, moved to Dubai a year ago.

The city has been great for her professional life, she said.

"Every single meeting that I had when I first moved over here linked very much into the next meeting and the next meeting and the next meeting," she said. "There was no doubt in my mind that I am where I'm supposed to be in life right now. I am supposed to be in Dubai."