Outrage as British estate agent boasts he’s escaping Dubai in a £150k | World | News

A British estate agent has been slammed after boasting about escaping Dubai in a £150,000 private jet. Samuel Leeds insists the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is safe despite the country being the target of hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones this week.

The 34-year-old, who was living in a beachfront property in Dubai with his family, took a chartered jet to escape the war zone on Wednesday (March 4). He posted on X: “We just chartered this jet for $150K to get us to England. Many people have thought it is impossible to get out of Dubai right now, but that is not actually true! The best thing about making money is the freedom I can buy you. We had to get back for business meetings, and having money gave us the freedom and flexibility to do so.”

In a separate post, Leeds wrote: “I did say to my friends in Dubai, ‘I’m flying back to the UK to speak at my Academy event – want to hop on the jet for free?’ But guess what? They all said NO! Because, unlike what the media will have you believe, Dubai is actually very safe and well-run during these attacks.”

His posts have since been slammed by social media users. One person dubbed him “fake” while a second read: “Spending 150K to risk get blown out of the sky, and yet mf here gloating. B****nd.”

Leeds, who labels himself a “Property Investor and Hotel Owner” on X, insists he is going to return to Dubai in a couple of weeks. A third user replied: “Dubai was sold to everyone as the ‘safest place on earth‘.

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“Now missiles over the skyline and evacuation flights reportedly £150k If you’re rich, you fly out. If you’re not… you’re just trapped in the desert. Some paradise. Freedom apparently has a £150k price tag.”

Leeds has since told The Independent: “Me and my kids were at home. We heard an explosion and the debris started falling. It was unnerving, especially with small children, to see missiles flying over your house.”

However, he has reiterated on his X page that the UAE was not dangerous. He said in another post this week: “If you have the money, leaving the UAE isn’t really an issue. Secondly, Dubai is perfectly safe – one of the world’s safest cities. The media are lying about the state of Dubai; it’s very safe.”

Leeds added: “I didn’t leave because of the missiles. I’m hosting a business networking lunch with more than 1,000 people and there was no way I was going to miss it.”

According to recent statistics, Iran has launched 189 ballistic missiles and 941 drones at the UAE so far. The strikes have left thousands of British nationals scrambling for flights out of the country.

Meanwhile, Leeds claims that no one is “fleeing Dubai”. He added: “When people tell me in England, ‘You’re finally back from a war zone,’ I tell them Dubai is totally safe.”

“I have complete trust in the UAE government. They keep people’s best interests in mind. And I am grateful for the military that is defending the country.”