Loyalty should not be measured by whether someone decides to stay or leave during uncertain times.
The relationship between the UAE and its foreign residents has always been symbiotic. Millions of expatriates have benefited from the opportunities the country offers, just as the UAE has benefited from their skills, labour and ambition. To suggest that someone must remain in the country out of obligation or repayment is neither fair nor just.
The region is currently facing a period of tension and uncertainty. Wars in this part of the world rarely stay distant. News alerts arrive faster than facts, and speculation spreads quickly. Many non-Emiratis instinctively check flight routes or call their families back home.
On February 28, that sense of unease intensified when missiles and drones were launched across the region as part of an escalating confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the US. Airspace disruptions, intercepted drones and missile alerts suddenly brought a regional conflict into everyday conversations. Since then, hundreds of aerial threats have been detected across parts of the Gulf, with most intercepted by air defence systems before reaching their targets.
For some residents, the images on television are just part of another news cycle. For others, they trigger memories of wars they have already experienced elsewhere. Many expatriates in the UAE come from countries that have lived through conflict first-hand. For them, the possibility of escalation carries a weight that others may not fully understand.
A friend of mine called me at the beginning of the war to say that she was thinking of returning to her home country with her young daughter because she felt uneasy. The sound of missiles and the constant alerts unsettled her. I immediately told her to do what felt right for her and her family.
What stayed with me was what she said next: “I just feel like I’m betraying this country by leaving. This country has been so good to us. We’ve built a life here.” No one should feel that way. Leaving, whether temporarily or for longer, is not betrayal. Distorting the truth about the UAE or portraying it unfairly is. If there is any way to give back, it is by being honest about the reality of the situation.
In moments like these, people react differently. Some stay. Some leave temporarily. Others simply wait for clarity. None of these reactions should be treated as a measure of loyalty.
A recent online comment suggested that expatriates who leave the UAE during times of uncertainty should not be allowed to return. It was as disturbing as the videos circulating online of expatriates making grand declarations about why they chose to stay. Both reactions miss the point. There are far bigger issues at stake, and trying to extract attention or social media applause from a regional war that has affected each of us in different ways is poor behaviour, to say the least.
This is not a test of loyalty.
When President Sheikh Mohamed said “we are all Emirati”, many people took comfort in those words. They reflected a broader idea of belonging, one that goes beyond nationality and recognises the contributions of millions who have helped Emiratis build the country over the past five decades.
Choosing to leave temporarily during difficult circumstances does not negate that sentiment. It does not make someone less Emirati in spirit. It does not mean they will miss out on opportunities, appreciation or recognition. Nor should there be any imagined competition over loyalty.
If we are going to speak about loyalty, then we should define it differently. Spreading fear, rumours or false information, particularly for attention or online engagement, is far closer to disloyalty than a family deciding to prioritise their safety and peace of mind.
I often think of a saying in Egypt: “Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to return.” In many ways, the same sentiment applies to the UAE. Those who have lived here carry memories of the country and its people long after they leave. They remember the safety, the opportunities and the sense of possibility that the Emirates has come to represent.
The UAE today is stronger and more confident in its capabilities than ever before. Years of investment in education, economic diversification and Emiratisation have ensured that Emiratis are present across almost every sector, from government and defence to medicine, science and technology.
Yes, citizens still make up slightly more than 10 per cent of the country’s population. But many people have already seen what that 10 per cent is capable of when given the opportunity and responsibility to lead.
If 10, 20 or even 30 per cent of expatriates were to leave temporarily during a moment of regional uncertainty, it would not pose a challenge for the country. The UAE would continue moving forward, just as it always has.
And when this period passes many of those who left will hopefully return. That’s because for countless people around the world, the UAE is not just a place they once lived. It remains a place they consider home.
