Across Dubai, a city of glittering skyscrapers, the geometric U.A.E. flag now hangs from buildings and at regular intervals along thorough fares, with giant screens flashing messages like “We Love Dubai.”
It follows a recent call from Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for citizens and residents to raise the national flag after the recent crisis.
The campaign reflects real pride after weeks in which the U.A.E. says its air defences engaged 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones launched from Iran since the attacks began — the lion’s share of projectiles launched by Iran at Gulf states.
But the display also carries more than a whiff of urgency.
For all the patriotic imagery, the city has also shown quieter signs of strain. Some expatriates have left, schools have switched to online, restaurants that normally hum late into the night are empty, and roads renowned for stalled traffic have been unusually clear.
That emptiness undercuts the official image of confidence.
Dubai’s economic model depends on persuading foreigners to stay, spend and keep believing in its promise of stability — and, above all, safety. Some 90 per cent of the U.A.E.’s population are non-citizens, with no path to citizenship.
After strikes and falling debris shook that image, the sea of flags feels like both a genuine expression of resilience and an insistent reassurance campaign aimed at expatriates: this place is still safe, still functioning, still open for business.
