Layla*, who left Dubai for her native Egypt in 2006, was one of the revolutionaries in Tahrir Square, cheering on the end of Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
But as the hope of the Arab spring wilted in the summer, she felt helpless as revolutionary optimism transformed into concerns that the military or Islamists were hijacking the youth-driven movement’s revolt for their own reactionary ends.
With her media consultancy business drying up in Egypt and Lebanon, a job offer came up in Abu Dhabi. So she moved back to Dubai, from where she makes the two-hour daily commute to the UAE’s capital. “I liked Dubai before and didn’t mind coming back at all,” she says. “It is away from all the chaos.”
Layla is one of many Arabs who are fleeing uncertain prospects at home for the more settled environment of Dubai. From unemployed graduates in Cairo to Bahrain-based bankers, Dubai’s stability and recovery provides solace from the storm.
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