Like all entries inThe Real Housewivesuniverse,The Real Housewives of Dubaicontains many memorable fights and conflicts. Although the series is among the newer Real Housewives series, it is already making an impact among fans of the franchise. Series' starsSara Al Madani,Chanel Ayan,Caroline Brooks,Caroline Stanbury, and newcomerTaleen Marieshowcase Dubai’s oppulant wealth and glamor.
Each conflict sheds light on each of these women as well as their relationships with one another and with their respective families. Some fights, like the one between Carloine Brooks and Sara, are deeply personal fights about family matters. Others, like the one between Caroline Stanbury and Taleen, are more typical of the Real Housewives genre, in that they create conflict for the show with varied results. These conflicts are what makes this series a quintessential part of the Real Housewives universe.
The Real Housewives of Dubai
10Caroline Stanbury and Sergio’s Moving Fight
Season 2, Episode 4
Caroline and Sergio’s move was first teased in the series' first season. The beginning of the second season sees these two finally move into their new place after staying with a friend. It is clear that this move has been stressful for both of them. Everything comes to a head when these two fight it out just as the move is about to happen. This is the natural conclusion to the long process that they experienced while waiting for their home to be built.
This moving fight summarizes so much of Caroline and Sergio as a couple, including their conflicts about family.Caroline Stanbury has always spoken her mindthroughout this series, and this conflict is no exception. This conflict is relatable because anyone who has ever moved knows just how grating the process is from beginning to end.This conflict also provides insight into their relationship and showcases just how lost Sergio can be, being a former football player married to a Real Housewife.
9Chanel Ayan and Caroline Stanbury Series Premiere Fight
Season 1, Episode 1
The Real Housewives of Dubaikicked off with a massive rooftop party that introduced viewers to this cast of characters. At this rooftop party, Caroline Stanbury and Chanel Ayan immediately clashed, with Stanbury stating, “I can’t bear this woman”. The conflict revolved around the fact that Chanel steered the conversation towards herself rather than engaging in a conversation about an event which she did not attend.
This fight showcasedChanel’s character and how dynamic she is. In addition to this fight being foundational to the series, it sets up the dynamic between Caroline S. and Ayan, which has been one of the most compelling ones to follow.This fight is wild because it spotlights how unafraid Chanel is to shine in her own light and what a leader she is. On the other hand, it showcases Caroline Stanbury’s deep insecurities and how unusual she finds it to be challenged.
8Caroline Stanbury and Taleen Fight Season 2 Premiere Fight
Season 2, Episode 1
Like the first season,Season 2 ofThe Real Housewives of Dubaikicks off with a bang with the introduction of new housewife Taleen. She makes an impression immediately by inserting herself into the chaos that’s already in progress.Taleen establishes the fact that she fits perfectly into the glitz, glamor, and cat fighting of Dubai’s Real Housewives. Her friendship with Caroline Brooks is the entry point for her, and the root of the first conflict she gets involved with in the series.
What makes this particular fight so wild is that this is set up to be a running gag for the rest of the season. This is lazy, even by Real Housewives standards. The reliance on repetition is worrying, and it does nothing to set Taleen up for the future. Much like Chanel Ayan, Taleen establishes the fact that she is dynamic and can keep up with her fellow housewives. The fact that Caroline S. is so stuck on Taleen’s comments sheds light on her values and how jarring it is to have such crude remarks repeated over and over.
7Caroline Brookes and Nina Ali’s Engagement Party Fight
Season 1, Episode 7
During Caroline and Sergio’s lavish engagement partyin the desert outside of Dubai, there was still lingering tension between Sara and Caroline Brooks (more on this in a moment) after their explosive confrontation. Each of the housewives found themselves roped into this conflict throughout the season. So much of this tension came to a head at the engagement party when Caroline Brooks confronted Nina directly about her perceived support of Sara’s perspective.
What makes this fight so wild is that Nina was trying to deal with her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis and subsequent serious health complications while not being in the same country as him.It is wild that she continually got roped into a conflict that she was not directly a part of when she was dealing with some very difficult family health issues. It is clear that Nina was uncomfortable even being a part of these discussions, yet she kept getting pulled back in.
6Lesa and Caroline Stanbury Feud
Season 1 Reunion
Lesa and Caroline Stanbury spent much of the first season ofThe Real Housewives of Dubaion less-than-rosy terms. However, towards the end of the season, things took a turn. The conflict revolved around Caroline providing receipts regarding Lesa’s business ventures. In particular, Caroline made the accusation that Lesa had stolen designs which she has since passed off as her own for her fashion business, and Lesa accused Caroline of providing misinformation regarding her business’s funding source.
The wild part of this conflict is that it wasn’t a bigger part of the first season. Of course, time constraints exist and not everything can be saved for the reunion. This conflict is mostly behind the cameras, however.This is an alarming accusation, particularly since both women present themselves as successful businesswomen. While there are different measures of success in business, these two have wildly differing views that put them in conflict.
5Caroline Brooks and Sara Parenthood Fight
Season 1, Episode 6
One of the most significant conflicts inThe Real Housewives of Dubaiso far was between Caroline Brooks and Sara when Sara made comments regarding Caroline’s parenting of her son. Everything came to a head when Caroline hosted Sara as well as her childhood friends for dinner. During the gathering, Sara remarked that Caroline should be more hands-on and more affectionate with her son after watching Caroline interact with him. This was taken hard by Caroline, who expressed feeling insulted regarding her parenting methods.
This is one of the most personal conflicts featured in The Real Housewives of Dubai. As a franchise, The Real Housewives have never shied away from getting very personal very fast.This conflict is unique, however, in that it exposes both Sara’s air of entitlement to comment on the family matters of other housewives and Caroline Brooks’ deep insecurities, especially when it comes to her role as a mother.
4Chanel Ayan and Caroline Stanbury Girls Trip Fight
Season 1, Episode 10
Caroline Stanbury and Ayan spent so much of season 1 in conflict. Even when they had seemingly resolved their differences, it was always clear that their strong personalities often came into conflict with one another. These differences peaked when the women took a girls’ trip to Nurai Island. The two feuded over comments made at a dinner, where they leveled accusations at each other and negatively interpreted one another’s words.
This conflict is wild because it is clearly a breaking point for both Caroline and Ayan.While Caroline has been able to brush off many disagreementswith Chanel Ayan, this one evidently got to her on an emotional level. It is wild that Sergio was called in to respond to his wife’s distress.While the substance of the conflict may not be much different from the rest of the series, this is evidently a turning point for both of them.
3The Carolines' Fight
Season 2, Episode 2
Both Carolines kicked off the second season ofThe Real Housewives of Dubaiwith an intense blowout following a joke made by Caroline Stanbury about Taleen. The joke was a reference to Taleen’s alcohol consumption, and the state in which she appeared at the party in the season premiere. Caroline Brooks, Taleen’s longtime friend, came to Taleen’s defense immediately, while facing pressures in her own life.
What makes this conflict, so wild is that it illustrates the dynamics that exist among the housewives and how these have changed with a new addition to the cast.Caroline Brooks is evidently a loyal friend, which sometimes means she approaches these types of conflict with a fierce intensity. This conflict also highlights the role that alcohol can play in so many fights, not just in this series, but in the Real Housewives universe as a whole. Caroline Stanbury described this conflict as a “Cold War”.
2The Housewarming Party Fight
Season 2, Episode 7
At the nearly halfway point of the second season, Caroline and Sergio reveal their finished new home to their friends in a housewarming party. This move was a stressful one for the couple, and they wanted to showcase this new start for their family. In the course of an otherwise fun and glamorous evening, everyone got involved in the drama. This is an escalation of the conflict featured inThe Real Housewives of Dubai.
This fight is a wild one because it gets so many members of the cast involved. Several members of the main cast were fresh off from their own disagreements after a trip to the desert. This acted as a fuse for the larger conflict that was featured at the housewarming.It is not just the main cast that comes to blows, but members of their respective families also.
1Chanel Ayan and Sara Post-Therapy Fight
In the first season ofThe Real Housewives of Dubai, Chanel bravely shared the fact that she survived FGM as a child. This disclosure came in the context of a hypnotherapy appointment which Sara arranged for her. Chanel continued to share her experience throughout the first season, and spoke to her sister as well. In the second season, Chanel confronts Sara for comments regarding Ayan’s ongoing discussion of her trauma.
WhileSara positions herself as a peacemakeramong the cast, she does not always live up to these ideals. This conflict is an example of this.What makes this episode the wildest conflict in the series so far is the fact that Sara would initially express her support for her friend after a traumatic disclosure, and then would criticize her for the way in which this friend continues to discuss this experience. This fight is the result of several conflicts happening at the same time, and it shows how explosive things can get.
