🇦🇪 Safe in Abu Dhabi, a leadership lesson.
I’m currently stuck in Abu Dhabi due to the escalating Iran crisis, and over the past few days, I’ve been extremely impressed by the UAE.
I came to visit my wife’s family in Dubai, then moved to Abu Dhabi, my first time here. It’s astonishing: exceptional care everywhere, especially for families with kids. What stands out most is how the UAE celebrates its culture and heritage while warmly embracing others, blending tradition with rare modernity.
The culture emphasizes our shared humanity. The Louvre Abu Dhabi displays global artworks together, suggesting different paths lead to the same essence. Just across the road, the Abrahamic Family House: a mosque, synagogue, and church side by side, captures it perfectly: “Diverse in our Faiths. Common in our Humanity. Together in Peace.”
Then the conflict with Iran escalated.
Honestly, I initially doubted if this famously safe country was prepared for attacks of this scale. I was very wrong.
I’ve seen their defenses intercept hundreds of drones and missiles from Iran. It’s so reassuring that I’m writing this from my hotel terrace, coffee in hand, with only distant sounds fading as interception improves daily.
This has been a double lesson in leadership.
First, preparation is extraordinary: a multi-layered system, among the world’s best, proving “If you want peace, prepare for war.”
Second, true leadership shines not only in the preparation but also in the response. Many might have imposed full lockdowns; the UAE didn’t. Confident in their capabilities, they issue brief shelter alerts (mainly for debris), then life resumes quickly. That’s real responsibility: protecting without paralyzing life out of fear, while standing by the promise to keep everyone safe. Other would have locked us down in basement night and days, not to be responsible but actually to avoid being responsible of anything.
The UAE’s courage, ownership and care are remarkable. I can work calmly outdoors with minimal worry, and the government fully covers our hotel stays, no paperwork, just pure efficiency.
Huge thanks and kudos to Abu Dhabi for welcoming us, protecting us, and taking such good care of everyone. This is not a sponsored post, just a sincere, polite, and respectful thank you note to express my deep gratitude.
Many thanks also to our professional network for all the love and support.
We’re safe, nothing to worry about. Given the context, we’ll be a bit less responsive than usual over the next few days though ;-)
@modgovae @UAEmediaoffice @MohamedBinZayed @HHShkMohd @HHmansour
@HamdanMohammed @ABZayed