'Like a big exhale': Expat families return to the UAE as regional calm restores

Dubai: More than 100 days of regional conflict tested the Gulf but the UAE held steady. Now, with the United States and Iran having signed an initial interim peace agreement, a sense of calm is returning, and with it, the families who had temporarily stepped away. 

Some left to be close to loved ones; others followed the shift to remote work or rode out a quiet period in business. All are coming back. For a country that proved its resilience throughout the crisis, the mood is less one of recovery and more one of renewal, a collective readiness to move forward, rebuild routines, and begin again.

'Being home feels like a big exhale'

For Amanda Ashworth, a Dubai-based mother who homeschools her children, the family's return came just days ago and the relief was immediate. The Ashworths split their time between Goa and Dubai, and had been abroad when the conflict began. A brief trip back to collect belongings only deepened her sense of displacement.

"Dubai is our main home base, so it feels so nice to be properly home again," she said.

The family's flexible schooling arrangement helped soften the disruption. Her husband and their dogs had remained in Dubai throughout — a source of both comfort and sadness. "It was sad, especially with everything feeling so uncertain," Ashworth recalled. The children were kept broadly aware of events, though the family's focus remained on maintaining routine. Now reunited, the children are back in their rooms, back with their toys, and, perhaps most importantly, back with the dogs.

Looking ahead to the summer, Ashworth's tone is one of quiet excitement. "It is a bit surreal, but we are really looking forward to spending the summer here."

Managing from a distance

Not every family has yet made it back, but many are counting down the days. One UAE resident, who asked not to be named, left in March when schools shifted to online learning, a familiar anxiety for any parent who lived through the early days of the pandemic.

"We've been through Covid when the children were much younger, and I couldn't go through that again," she said. Her husband remained in the UAE, where his role at a government bank required his physical presence. "It was just me and the kids."

The family expects to be home within the week, and she is eager for the reunion not just with her husband, but with the broader social life that makes Dubai feel like home.

She also welcomed the fee relief extended by schools during the period of disruption, calling it "a good gesture."

A seamless adjustment and a firm sense of home

For one German expat, who has lived in the UAE for over 20 years and requested anonymity, the decision to relocate temporarily to Germany was driven by a need for mental respite and the reassurance of being close to family. The transition, she admits, was relatively smooth, her family's summer schedule already brings them to Germany before a return to Dubai each August, and her children's school accommodated the extended absence without issue.

But the temporary nature of the move was never in question.

"We go to Germany every summer anyway, so we'll be back in August, same as always," she said. Her children were never formally withdrawn from their Dubai school or nursery, and she has continued paying all fees throughout. "On the first of September, they'll be back in school, just like all the other children in the UAE."

A family's return to life in the UAE

Denise Johnson from Germany temporarily left the UAE with her daughter and mother, returning once schools reopened. The family, who call Ras Al Khaimah home, felt uncertain about when they would be able to come back during their time abroad.

Johnson noted that her daughter's school was highly supportive throughout the distance learning period. "Because of the time difference, the school day in the UAE would have started at 4:45 a.m. in Germany, which was obviously difficult for a young child. The school made accommodations so that my daughter could join lessons later and continue learning without unnecessary pressure."

"Returning to our routines, our home and our community brought a real sense of relief and stability," Johnson added.

'The UAE remains one of the most attractive destinations in the world'

For Ismayil Neelangodan, a Dubai-based entrepreneur originally from Kerala who has called the UAE home for 23 years, the decision to step back was a practical one. His transportation business, which serves schools and the tourism sector had slowed considerably, though his butchery and restaurant continued to operate. With confidence returning to the market, he is now preparing to come back.

"We have seen encouraging signs of recovery across the sectors we operate in, business activity is picking up, customer demand is increasing, and confidence is growing among entrepreneurs and investors," he said. "These positive developments have made our decision to return an easy one."

For Neelangodan, the UAE has never been merely a place to do business. It is, in every meaningful sense, home. "I have witnessed this country's resilience and its remarkable ability to adapt to challenges time and again," he said. "The UAE remains, for me, one of the most attractive destinations in the world for business, investment, and family life."

His return will be as purposeful as his departure. He plans to resume his transportation operations immediately, continue supporting his other ventures, and ensure his children's school re-registration is completed without delay. For his family, as for so many others across the country, the next chapter is already beginning.