Why Lindsay Lohan moved to Dubai

In 2014 Lindsay Lohan relocated from the United States to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although she still travels to the U.S. and other countries for work, her permanent residence remains in Dubai. Why did she make this change, and what does it mean for her life?

Lindsay Lohan first visited Dubai in 2008 but didn’t move there until 2014.

She says she’s found more support from other women

“It’s a very big place for female activists,” Lindsay told W Magazine in 2018. “Women have a very strong community.”

She’s grown closer to her famiy

The distance has been good for Lindsay’s relationship with her family members, including her father Michael Lohan. Michael and Lindsay have had a very toxic father/daughter relationship in the public eye in the past, but since Lindsay has gotten some physical distance as well as the distance from the public glare, she says things are better now. In fact, her family comes to visit all the time. “We’re all in touch … It just took me going to Dubai,” Lindsay said on the The Howard Stern Show in 2019.

She learned the value of privacy and personal boundaries

Paparazzi are illegal in the U.A.E., so when Lindsay’s there she doesn’t have to worry about constantly being watched. This has made her appreciate privacy more and learn the value of saying “no.”

In a 2022 interview with Vogue, Lindsay explains: “It just really happened, how I moved to Dubai. I got there, and I felt a certain sense of calm,” she explained in the Vogue video. “I think it’s because paparazzi is illegal there. I really found that I had a private life, and I could just take time for myself. I decided to stay there because I really learned to appreciate what it is to go, do my work, and then leave and live a normal life. It took me moving there to really appreciate the time that I take for myself, instead of just going, going, going and learning to say ‘no.’ And really putting myself first, and choosing the things that I want to do, wisely, for me first.”

It seems like Lindsay has taken her escape from L.A. and New York as a chance to establish boundaries and connect with herself while still engaging in career opportunities in the U.S. She recently signed a two-movie deal with Netflix and starred in a 2022 Superbowl commercial that joked about her past struggles and foibles.