The desert city in the United Arab Emirates has long welcomed the wealthy, who have been drawn to its low taxes, safety, luxury and business-friendly government.

But with that reputation on the line as Iranian missiles fly overhead, some are stumping up huge sums to secure a way out, with airspace in the UAE partially closed.

"When we saw the fire, we said OK, it's time to go," said Evrim, a mother of two from Turkey, referring to a blaze that broke out after missile debris hit a luxury hotel near her home on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai's archipelago of man-made islands that have come to represent the city's ostentatiousness.

She, her husband and her two young children are paying $200,000 to fly out of neighbouring Oman bound for Geneva, where they plan to wait out the war. To reach Oman's capital Muscat, they had to drive six hours through the desert.

"We were feeling really anxious... mainly because of the kids -- when they heard that bang sound they were scared," she told AFP, referring to missile interceptions overhead.

She felt it would only become harder to leave if the conflict dragged on, fearing that Saudi Arabia, which accounts for much of the region's airspace, may join the war.

Dubai has built a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous, with the city home to the world's tallest building, an enormous mall with an indoor ski slope, huge theme parks and luxury hotels.

But its status as a safe and secure hub in a volatile region is now under threat.

Targeted by more than 800 drones and 200 missiles since Saturday, with three people killed, the UAE is bearing the brunt of Iran's retaliatory campaign across the Gulf. Airports and oil facilities are among the targets hit.

- 'Anxious' -

Several foreign governments, including Britain and Germany, are sending planes to Oman to evacuate their nationals, as a reduced number of commercial flights are operating out of UAE airports.

But many of the wealthy are finding their own way out.

"Demand is definitely increasing," said Glenn Phillips, PR and advertising manager for Air Charter Service, a broker that organises private jets worldwide.

"We have arranged a number of evacuation flights already, and have more scheduled today and tomorrow, mainly out of Muscat in Oman for people looking to get out of Dubai."

He said prices were spiking due to a lack of airplanes as many were grounded at closed airports. Private jet operators are also reluctant to fly due to security concerns.

The Oman route was the most popular, Phillips added, but congestion at the border with the UAE meant people were waiting three or four hours to cross.

Available aircraft will become even more scarce if the war is prolonged, he told AFP.

Mike D'Souza, operations coordinator at Indus Chauffeur in Dubai, said demand for private cars out of the UAE had spiked among wealthy individuals from Western nations.

Many were heading out via Saudi Arabia, where airports are still operating, though obtaining visas for the kingdom is a challenge for some evacuees.

For those stranded on more modest incomes, the journey to safety is harder.

One British expat, who declined to be named, told AFP that securing a commercial flight out of Muscat had been extremely difficult for himself, his pregnant wife and three-year-old son.

"Prices are extremely high and seats are disappearing quickly while you are trying to book," he said.

They eventually managed to nail down a flight to the Indian city of Hyderabad, from where they will fly on to Thailand.

"While my son doesn't understand what is happening, it has clearly unsettled him, and my wife has also been anxious.

"That said, we absolutely love Dubai and consider it our home. We fully intend to return once our baby is born and things settle down."