Dubai Beats Europe in Safety, Says Telegram Founder Pavel Durov
Image Source: Internet
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, has sparked a discussion online after claiming that Dubai is “statistically safer” than Europe, despite Iranian missiles and drones targeting the UAE city over the weekend.
Durov made the remarks in a post on X, where he wrote, “Unfortunately, I had to leave Dubai for Europe a week ago — so I’m not only missing the free fireworks from Iran, but also exposing myself to greater risk. Given Europe’s crime rates, Dubai is statistically safer even with missiles flying. Can’t wait to be back.”
His remarks came days after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Dubai in retaliation for strikes by the United States and Israel that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reacted to Durov’s post, writing, “No country is perfect, but Dubai and UAE broadly are objectively safer and better run than many areas of Europe.”
Meanwhile, Durov’s post sparked mixed reactions online, with some agreeing with him and others saying that Dubai’s reputation as a safe tourist haven was shattered after Iranian weaponry targeted the city.
However, one user wrote, “He’s not wrong on the crime stats. But I fly in and out of DXB regularly — the airport got evacuated, 70% of flights cancelled, Burj Al Arab on fire, Jebel Ali Port burning. Dubai was the one place in the Middle East where you didn’t have to think about any of this. That’s gone now.”
Notably, over the weekend, residents reported hearing loud explosions as the UAE’s air defence systems intercepted incoming aerial threats across the city’s skyline.
