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As war grips Iran and air defenses in the United Arab Emirates intercept waves of incoming missiles and drones, one American chose to leave Miami for Dubai. It’s a decision she does not regret.
“I actually had the opposite experience of me asking myself if I made the right choice. … I was, like, so excited to be here,” she said in an interview.
Rikki Dimitriadis, an American hairstylist originally from New York whose move has attracted media attention, moved to Dubai April 1 and spoke with Fox News Digital about her decision and how she’s felt since relocating.
Dimitriadis said she wasn’t concerned about regional tensions, pointing to her experience living in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
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Hairstylist Rikki Dimitriadis moved to Dubai in the midst of the war in Iran. (Getty Images/Kusska/Rikki Dimitriadis)
“I trust the government of the UAE to keep people safe,” she said. “I think I trust it more than America right now.”
Dimitriadis described her move to Dubai as a “no-brainer,” citing safety and the lack of an income tax. She said she feels comfortable walking alone late at night and even leaving her belongings unattended in public, something she referred to as the “Dubai theory.”
“I came here last summer, and … I saw the hospitality, how clean it was and how safe it was,” she said.
She explained why she left Miami and why she believes in Dubai she will be “surrounded by better people.”
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Although Dubai is also known to be a home to influencers and glamour, Dimitriadis thinks there are key differences.
“Dubai and Miami are very similar, but I would say Dubai is more of a mixture of New York, Vegas and Miami,” Dimitriadis said. “The only difference is the people. I’m a hairstylist, so I love the influencers. I don’t mind that. But these people have respect for themselves, and they’re not running around doing crazy things like you would see in Miami.”
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Dimitriadis said financial factors influenced her move. She said she was able to partially furnish her apartment, travel and line up a job doing hair.
The journey from Miami to Dubai took 32 hours after her original flight was canceled. Dimitriadis said the trip “was not easy,” but she was determined to make it.
Upon arrival, she described the Abu Dhabi airport as “beautiful.” As the plane approached landing, she said she wondered what she would see but was met with clear skies.
Dimitriadis didn’t feel nervous when receiving missile alerts on her phone.
“I’ve gotten alerts on my phone and still went along my day. People are living their lives, there’s traffic, the mall is full, the restaurants are fun,” she said.
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Dimitriadis shared a story about when she received an alert at a café, and people were amused.
“When I did get the alert, I was in a café and people were laughing, but you don’t feel the fear here, which I think is important,” she said.
Even while living in the Middle East, Dimitriadis doesn’t believe she moved closer to danger.
“I don’t look at it like that,” she said. “I see this as a new chapter of my life in a beautiful place with beautiful people, and I’m super excited to start this journey. The war doesn’t really even cross my mind, to be honest with you.”
An Amber alert goes off in the JW Marriott lobby in Dubai. (Judith Wilson)
According to Dimitriadis, it would only take a missile landing “a mile away” for her to even think about returning home.
Dimitriadis emphasized that she feels comfortable as an American living in Dubai and expressed that she has received kind treatment from others.
“When I went over the summer, everyone was so welcoming,” she recalled. “People know I’m moving, they’re reaching out, making sure I got in OK.”
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Dimitriadis wants Americans not to live in fear and, if they want to take a leap of faith, they should.
As of April 6, 13 people have been killed and more than 200 have been injured in the UAE as a result of Iranian strikes in the region, according to the Khaleej Times and Anadolu Ajansı.
Fox News’ Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.