FT Says Don’t Move To Dubai BUT Here’s Why That’s Missing The Point

A recent Financial Times opinion piece titled “Don’t move to Dubai — this is still the place to be” argues that London remains the cultural and creative capital of the world, and that Brits shouldn’t be packing their bags for Dubai just yet.

But the piece, while poetic, overlooks the global reality of 2025: Dubai isn’t trying to replace London, it’s redefining what global opportunity looks like

In the article, the writer (who also happens to be the Director of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum) praises London’s long-standing cultural legacy and its “impulse that makes for creation and fertility,” quoting Virginia Woolf. It’s a nostalgic argument, one that celebrates London’s past rather than acknowledging Dubai’s undeniable rise in the present.

And this hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Sultan Al Qassemi, founder of Barjeel Art and instructor at AUS, shared his response on X, saying

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London is of course great and I wish it was prosperity but 1- I feel unsafe in parts of London. 2- You can’t argue with Dubai’s no income tax incentive. 3- The Gulf today is also like London a major hub for art and culture. 4- Moving to Dubai doesn’t mean giving up on London… https://t.co/9HV8nQ7ndl

— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) October 11, 2025

His words hit the mark. Dubai today isn’t a “tax haven escape,” it’s a global hub where opportunity, creativity, and safety meet. From Michelin-starred dining to world-class art fairs, from innovative startups to cultural institutions like Alserkal Avenue and the Theatre of Digital Art, Dubai has evolved beyond the clichés.

London will always have its charm, centuries of it, but Dubai is the city of the now. Its energy, ambition, and multicultural fabric make it one of the most exciting places to live, work, and create.

So, no, this isn’t about choosing between cities or picking a favourite. It’s about acknowledging that the world is bigger than one cultural capital, and that the desert has bloomed into something extraordinary!