All hell broke loose almost a fortnight ago—perhaps more; all seems hazy and one loses track of time. It happened right in our backyard. The sights and sounds were once unheard of in Dubai… in the UAE. And yet, suddenly, we became eyewitnesses.
The first time we heard that Dubai was in the center of a crossfire—or more likely, a warzone—was at a family iftar party. Honestly, being a Karachiite (born and bred in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan), the news did little to perturb me or the other Gen Xers and Millennials at the party. Of course, the Boomers and Gen Alpha (including my eight-year-old) were a different case altogether. They are still in panic mode.
Then came the missile alerts, warnings, and precautionary steps. Social media was flooded with images and forwards, sharing not only what was actually happening but also what people—and “smarter” people—conjured up.
If the seeds of disinformation had been sown long before the first shots were fired in the Israel/US-Iran war, the blogosphere went into a frenzied tizzy over the presumed collapse of the GCC states, specifically the UAE. I am certainly not making light of the situation, as lives have been lost and many have been injured. This is war! The atmosphere is indeed crackling with tension, which seems to burst every time one witnesses an interception or hears the roar of Emirati jets in action. Official sources, like the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (X: @NCEMAUAE) and Dubai Police, show the resilience and preparedness of the UAE government through daily alerts—sharing as much as security protocols and information sensitivity allow.
Needless to say, though forced to by salacious international narratives, we the residents of the UAE—along with the citizens—do feel protected. A few might beg to differ, but those handful might feel the same anywhere in the world. I may be only one voice, but a huge majority, if not all, would certainly agree.
Narratives and opinions were (and still are) bombarded—pun intended—as writers like Gaby Hinsliff wrote in her Guardian piece, “Influencers sold the world a fantasy Dubai – and now it’s gone in a puff of missile smoke”:
“Alongside the wealth managers, property agents and taut-skinned trophy wives who always accompany the mega-rich, it attracted its share of Reform-supporting X blue ticks banging on from their beach clubs about London supposedly going to the dogs; influencers seeking luxury backdrops for their unboxing videos; crypto guys, tech bros, and assorted hustlers. But many rungs down the financial ladder behind them came an army of younger temporary workers to clean their pools and nanny for their kids and teach them pilates, many of whom have families back home now worried sick. Gloat if you must that they are now finding out why other people stay home in the rain, but schadenfreude is a grim look when fellow human beings are sleeping in their basements as the tyrannical Iranian regime tries to kill them.”
Let’s check the ground realities. Dubai and the UAE didn’t just sell the fantasy; they owned it! This country made dreams come true for all of us who came here for work and a better life. Yes, there may be issues, but name one country—first-world nations included—that doesn’t have them. In fact, there are more issues when it comes to the white imperialists who laid their foundations and reinforced them with the sweat and blood of the very countries they are now bombing or making economic hostages and scapegoats.
As Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, the well-known businessman and chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, asked US President Donald Trump in an open letter: “Who authorized turning our region into a war zone?”
It is rich when those pointing fingers are already drenched in the blood of women, children, and men from every hemisphere. It is audacious coming from where muffled voices are trying to writhe through the noise to expose the likes of Epstein Island and so much more.
What does the UAE represent to us? It is a melting pot. It is where friends meet—Indians and Pakistanis who want nothing but peace! These are relationships and bonds created and sustained, not overshadowed by geopolitics. Isn’t it ironic? Being a Pakistani, I have many friends in India, most of whom have been constantly calling to check up on me since the start of this chaos.
From one side of the world to the other, Dubai, the UAE, is where friendships are forged, relationships created and reinforced. It is a place where conversations do happen and people listen to what ‘ the other’ has to say. A place where borders seldom matter! That has been my two-decade long experience and what we, at Ananke, have been doing for the past one decade. Be it women’s empowerment across the Global South, conversation on gender-based violence, literary festivals focusing speaking truth to power and so much more. It all happened here in the UAE!
When it comes to resilience, the UAE is a nation of peoples from across the Arab world and the Global South. Resilience is ingrained in us and it is constantly being reinforced by the commitment of the UAE’s restrained, controlled, and composed leadership.
The bangs and the booms are very real. Certainly! They have hit close to home! And yet, we cannot be more safe… feel more safe than here and now! When the world seems to be waiting with bated breath for a fall, we hold on. We have made the UAE our home. Who runs away from home? One can only be uprooted by force, but no one leaves without duress.
