A black plume of smoke rises from a warehouse at the industrial area of Sharjah City in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
The image of several cities in the Gulf region as safe haven, especiaffly for foreginers, have been rocked by several blasts from Iranian airstrikes, as the Gulf states on March 2 were weighing a response to attacks from Tehran.
The peaceful image of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait were first shattered on Feb. 28 as Iranian weaponry rained down on Dubai, setting fire to a five-star resort, threatening the world's tallest building and killing one person and injuring seven others at the airport in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.
“This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare, as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Persian Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. “There might be a way to be resilient, but there is no going back.”
Officials tried to reassure residents and visitors that the country’s air defense system was among the best in the world, blasting down drones and missiles.
“I know it’s a scary time for a lot of the residents,” Reem Al Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, told CNN. “We don’t hear these types of loud sounds. But at the same time, those are sounds of interception. And where there has been damage — that has been primarily debris.”
Fallout from the attacks has undermined the United Arab Emirates' efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran despite longtime suspicions of its neighbor across the Gulf.
The oil-rich federation of seven sheikhdoms has relied on its image as a place of serenity to lure wealthy tourists, businesspeople and future residents who want to live largely tax-free in luxury in the desert by the sea. Nearly 90 percent of the estimated 11 million residents are foreigners.
Real estate firms sell glimmering high-rises and poolside villas to rich Europeans and Americans by promoting a welcoming climate and business-friendly policies, and touting it as one of the safest places on earth.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said that it is weighing a response to Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting several of its member states, warning that the bloc will take all necessary measures to protect its security and stability.
