Caroline Stanbury Sparks Controversy By Calling Gulf Conflict A 'Correction' For Dubai's Expat Boom

British socialite and *Real Housewives of Dubai* star Caroline Stanbury has made controversial remarks about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, suggesting that the war may serve as a 'correction' to what she describes as an excessive influx of expatriates into her adopted home city. The 49-year-old British-born influencer and television personality shared these comments during a recent episode of her podcast *Uncut and Uncensored*, while stranded in Los Angeles due to the closure of commercial airspace over the Gulf following Iranian retaliatory missile strikes.

The US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran earlier this month, triggering a wave of counterattacks across the region. Dubai—home to thousands of British expatriates, including celebrities such as footballers Kate and Rio Ferdinand—has faced repeated threats from ballistic missiles and drones. One intercepted missile caused fire damage at The Address Creek Harbour Hotel in the Palm Jumeirah area, while another drone struck near the US consulate in the city.

Stanbury has been based in Dubai for nearly a decade after moving there with her then-husband, investment banker Cem Habib, who received an overseas job offer. She divorced him in 2019 and later married Spanish former footballer Sergio Carrallo, 19 years her junior. Despite the current unrest, she has described Dubai as 'safer than America today,' even though missile alerts have disrupted her sleep and caused anxiety.

Speaking on her podcast, Stanbury acknowledged the chaos in Dubai but argued that the conflict could bring benefits to expatriate communities. 'I think there needed to be a little bit of correction because everybody was coming