Wow, that is a super expensive flight. Is it always that expensive going through Dubai or is it cheaper if you buy far in advance? I remember going to Dubai from Rome in 2019 and it was only a few hundred dollars. I have a flight coming up for my sister's wedding, and I will be going to the US from Vietnam, tickets were about $900 a piece roundtrip. Admittedly, this is quite a good price compared to some of the other flights we could have chosen, but we do go through Taipei, so hopefully nothing happens with China anytime soon. I hope your mother feels better, and that you can find a way to see her without breaking the bank.
The Dubai route from Dubai to London is the expensive part because we are stopping over in Dubai for 4 days sorting out a new bank account and off ramp for crypto. I would fly direct to the UK normally as I hate wasting hours using longer flights. It sucks having to do separate trips, but it makes more financial sense to fly back here from Dubai and travel to the UK next month. My mother has a condition that sees her deteriorating slowly and there is no cure so we know the time lines.
I am sorry to hear about your mother. Hopefully you can at least get everything sorted out nicely with the bank. Sometimes, I am able to find cheaper flights when I make a detour somewhere else on the way, maybe there is another city between Dubai and UK that is less expensive to stop through. It might sound counterintuitive to stop somewhere else to save money, but I have gotten some crazy deals doing this, and it can be a nice excuse to visit a place you hadn't expected to see.
No unfortunately this will not work and is cheaper to fly back to SA and then fly next month direct to the UK.
Damn, that is annoying. Hopefully you won't have to return to Dubai after this trip.