For the last decade, Dubai and its Middle Eastern siblings, including Abu Dhabi and Doha, have given British expats lusting after the high life the chance to live out their dreams for a fraction of what a similar lifestyle might cost at home.
These gleaming tax-free Gulf outposts – which scream new money and where fast cars, designer clothes, luxury penthouses and five-star hotels are entirely the norm – have let millions of Brits, from estate agents and teachers to city workers and entrepreneurs, dramatically trade up their standard of living.
Yet recent weeks have seen Middle Eastern streets apparently paved with gold tarnished by the war between Israel/US and Iran.
As the conflict approaches its fourth week, destinations that have previously appeared untouchable in regional conflict – including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman – have effectively fallen off the tourist map for the foreseeable future.
Stick or twist? Kate and Rio Ferdinand, who upped sticks and moved to Dubai last year, are amongst thousands in the UAE expat community who might be considering moving elsewhere if the conflict in the Gulf continues to rage
And jittery expats who permanently call such destinations home – including British stars such as Rio and Kate Ferdinand, Luisa Zissman and reality star Sam Gowland – are hastily plotting their next move should the war rage on.
So, where will the Brits who can’t face the reality of high prices and grey skies at home point their compass next?
These are the expat destinations around the world that do a good impression of Dubai – and where ambitious nouveau riche Brits will fit right in…
MONTENEGRO
Russian money has fuelled a boom in luxury resorts and apartments in spectacular Boka Bay, in the Balkan country of Montenegro
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic spends pre-season at the uber luxurious Portonovi complex, which has become a hit with expats seeking the high life
Vistas don’t come much prettier than Boka Bay on Montenegro’s sultry riviera, a glamorous collision of fjord-like scenery and rising mountains.
Thanks to its yacht lifestyle, increasingly sleek architecture – funded by big-spending Russians – and appetite for all things bougie, this polished portion of the Balkan country is fast becoming a hotspot for those who speculate to accumulate.
It has some stellar fans too; tennis star Novak Djokovic owns several villas in the eastern European country, one of which Queen Camilla is reported to have stayed in.
The sporting icon is regularly seen training at the uber-luxurious Portonovi complex, which has become a bougie enclave for expats, with its private villas and ‘world-class’ marina.
One&Only, one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands, also has a property here – with rooms coming in at at around £1,200 a night.
MACAU
The Cotai Strip in Macau, China; this former Portuguese territory is the only place in China to offer legal gambling – and is fast becoming popular with expats seeking a glitzy haven
Dubbed the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau has something that the Middle East definitely doesn’t – the chance to bet the night away.
The former Portuguese colony, which was returned to China in 1999, is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal, and so hedonism has thrived in this tiny region on the country’s south coast, which looks across the Pearl River Delta at Hong Kong.
What can expats expect if they live here? Plenty of Dubai-style razzle dazzle; the architecture is bold, following the ‘more is more’ mantra.
Last month, The Grand Emperor Hotel revealed the ‘golden pathway’ it had laid in 2006 – paved using genuine gold bars – had been sold for $13million (£9.8million) to cash in on the soaring prices of the precious metal.
That it was there in the first place tells you all you need to know about Macau.
GOLD COAST CITY
Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia, has everything Dubai lovers could want – an impressive amount of slick high rises, beautiful beaches and cheap property prices
Culture-light but with an impressive skyline and safe suburbs where a five-bed with a pool costs much less than the equivalent in the UK, Australia’s Gold Coast City is an increasingly attractive option for ex-Dubai dwellers who still want blue skies, work-life balance and affordable luxury.
The walk from the office to the ocean can take minutes – and there’s no need to learn a new language, sport…
MIAMI
Florida has no state tax, making it an attractive proposition for expats
And souped-up super cars are just as common a sight on Ocean Drive as they are in Dubai
Make like the Beckhams and head for Florida’s most glam metropolis – where aesthetic enhancements are routine, consumerism is a favourite sport and taxes are more favourable. This is Dubai with an American accent.
The world’s most upscale hotel brands are all here and, thanks to its tropical climate, Miami’s skies are almost always blue – the retractable roof on your Porsche will be more down than up.
The city’s economy is buoyant too, so a slice of la dolce vita is easier to attain – with trade, finance and tourism all booming.
SHANGHAI
City slickers in need of a new metropolis might find the bright lights of Shanghai mirrors the glamour of the Middle East
Where does your twentysomething British City boy who’s not ready to come home yet head to next?
Party-loving Shanghai, where boozy weeknights out with colleagues in glamorous nightspots and big money deals are all in the offing. It’s China’s New York, essentially.
Like its Middle Eastern counterparts, there are spotless streets and gleaming skyscrapers, with many an expat working out of the Bund, Shanghai’s glistening waterfront, which is home to British-built hotels, banks and the Custom House.
PANAMA CITY
Central America’s Panama City has all the urbanity of the Middle East’s biggest cities – and the potential for a low-cost lifestyle
Arguably Central America’s most cosmopolitan city, those in the market for some Latino fun might fancy Panama City.
This vibrant metropolis has become a new home for thousands of expats from around the globe thanks to the commerce – and its use of the US dollar – that exists within its sprawling skyline.
And should you need to hop to New York or Miami for business, it’s only a short plane ride away. Add in tropical beaches and luxury apartments with a city panorama for around £1,800 a month, and it’s an easy, breezy way to tap into the high life.
CYPRUS
Despite the presence of the RAF Akrotiri airbase on the island, the FCO isn’t warning British travellers off Cyprus, only advising ‘sensible precautions’.
With flights operating normally again, the sunshine isle is likely to still be popular this summer – and it has plenty of bougie boltholes that appear to have been built for a Dubai audience.
Take the City of Dreams, billed as ‘Europe’s premier five-star resort’ in Limassol, which subscribes to generic luxury in the way the Middle East does – only with a massive casino at its heart, dubbed ‘Europe’s grandest’ and promising VIP experiences.
For expats, Cyprus is a place to edge bets metaphorically too in the coming months.
If the Middle East war calms down, it’s only a short flight back to the UAE… and if it goes in the other direction, the UK is only around four hours away too.
KUALA LUMPUR
Gated communities, lavish properties and international schools galore, for families – like Rio and Kate Ferdinand and their children – who have seen their Dubai dream become ever more uncertain in recent weeks, the Malaysian capital could be just the ticket.
The exclusive neighbourhood of Mont Kiara is frequently dubbed the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Kuala Lumpur – and is one of the priciest places to reside in the Far Eastern city – but still comes in cheaper than renting a four-bed semi in Surrey with private school fees to consider.
LAS VEGAS
Sin City looks great on the socials and anyone who’s impressed by supercars, 24-hour casinos and big name restaurants will slot right in in this Nevada oasis.
Tourism is the big ticket, but commerce is huge too – and conventions keep the city’s hotel industry thriving as much as the big name stars with residencies on the Strip.
Expat communities including Summerlin and Henderson have been carefully designed – as in Dubai – to give overseas residents exactly what they need including swish gym facilities, pristine golf courses and manicured parks.