UAE President, Dubai Crown Prince praised for visiting mall amid regional tensions: ‘That’s how you reassure a nation’
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited Dubai Mall on Monday evening. He was accompanied Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai.UAE President and Dubai Crown Prince photographed at Dubai Mall on March 2.The two leaders moved among surprised shoppers, greeted people, and even posed for photographs in a message of strength amid escalating regional tensions. They were later filmed dining at the mall with their entourage.Their visit to Dubai Mall came at a time when the UAE’s air defences are intercepting drones and missile attacks launched Iran. The conflict started US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which sparked retaliatory Iranian attacks across the region, showed no sign of abating as it entered its fourth day.Dubai, once considered a safe haven in the Middle East, has been thrust into the escalating regional conflict. The UAE’s air defence systems have intercepted hundreds of projectiles, but debris from interceptions has still caused fires and damage to sites such as a glitzy hotel in Palm Jumeirah and iconic landmarks including the Burj Al Arab and Jebel Ali port. (Also read: VIDEO: Exact moment Dubai’s Fairmont Palm Jumeirah was hit amid US-Iran conflict)UAE President, Dubai Crown Prince praisedThe UAE President and the Crown Prince of Dubai earned praise for stepping out in a show of reassurance. A report in Yemen Online called the appearance “unprecedented”, noting how it is rare for a head of state to appear so publicly during periods of military tension.A video of the two leaders having coffee along with several Emirati officials at Dubai Mall was shared on Instagram with the caption, “Having coffee in Dubai Mall while the region talks about tension. That’s how you reassure a nation.”The video drew many appreciative comments. “Seeing how the UAE protected its people makes you realize how much we wish our home country did the same,” wrote one person.“God bless UAE and its leaders,” said another. (Also read: UAE tells Iran ‘your war not with your neighbours’ after blasts in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain)“This is true leadership. Visible with the people,” wrote one X user. “Thats how a leader leads example,” another agreed.
