Jo Malone defends Dubai's human rights record after relocating
The fragrance entrepreneur has lived in the suite of a five-star hotel in Dubai since 2021.
Malone, 61, described Sheikh Mohammed, the city's ruler, as 'the most wonderful leader' and said the UK and United States weren't perfect either.
She and her husband Gary Willcox are part of the now 240,000 or so who call the emirate their home.
Speaking to The Sunday Times about the human rights record and attitudes towards homosexuality, the perfumer said: 'I believe every person has the right to be whoever they want to be, but you think the UK has got everything right, and the US has got everything right?.
'Honestly, you tell me a place you can go and live where you can tick every box 100 per cent.'
She added that you had to respect the fact 'you are in someone else's country' before describing Sheikh Mohammed as 'just the most wonderful leader'.
Malone, whose visa entitles her to live for up to 10 years in the city where there is no personal income or inheritance tax, hopes she can continue 'beyond' that period.
On the tax systems back in Britain, the businesswoman who was raised on a council estate said: 'What happens is, you start to become disillusioned.
'And when you're working hard, you're paying your taxes, and then your child gets sick or your mother gets sick, and you take them to the hospital and you're waiting three days on a trolley.'
She added that other Britons were also making the move 'like there's no tomorrow' because of the amount of infrastructure being built.
Malone said: 'I was ahead of the curve.
'I didn't move for all the obvious reasons. It was for me as a person. I moved for opportunity.'
Malone is now estimated to be worth £15 million after setting up her luxury perfume, candle and lotion business in 1990. In 1999, she sold the company to Estée Lauder for millions before going on to launch Jo Loves in 2011 when her highly tuned sense of smell returned after overcoming cancer.
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