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Dubai not ‘immune to geopolitical crises’, but will adapt thanks to UAE leadership, says top official
Dubai will remain a city of dreamers, ambitious people and entrepreneurs, says Faisal bin Sulaitin, CEO of the Economic Security Center of Dubai
- PUBLISHED: Thu 2 Apr 2026, 2:43 PM
While Dubai is not immune to global crises and geopolitical upheavals, its ability to adapt and bounce back is a reason for its success, a Dubai executive said.
"In times of war, everyone sacrifices, and Dubai is not immune from geopolitical crises and changes. But its ability to adapt and get out of them is a reason for its success, thanks to its leadership and strategic plans that it has adopted," Faisal bin Sulaitin, CEO of the Economic Security Center of Dubai, said.
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Thanks to the UAE’s leadership, the country can persevere as it did with the global financial crisis and Covid-19 pandemic, and now with a regional war, Sulaitin said in an interview conducted with the Dubai Media Office last week.
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“What we have learned in the past is to come out with success stories and investment opportunities that surprises everyone,” he said, adding that all vital sectors and commercial activities continue as usual.
“Because of the vision, wisdom and connection between the government sector and the private sector, and the trust that has been built between the two parties, the work will continue,” he added.
The country will maintain its stability and economy to provide an “advanced model for managing crises” both regionally and globally, Sulaitin reiterated. This security, he said, which exists in the UAE and is “lost in many countries” is being ignored in the media.
“Residents and locals came to Dubai because they found opportunities that they could not find in their countries,” Sulaitin said.
As the war rages on for its fifth week, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pushed back on misleading international reports suggesting that it is signaling a shift in its position, affirming that it maintains a defensive posture.
“Dubai will remain a city of dreamers, ambitious people and entrepreneurs,” the ESCD chief said. “The markets are stable, the goods are available, and the safety of consumers is closely monitored, and there are no unnecessary increases.”
The UAE Ministry of Economy has stated previously that the country’s food supply remains aplenty, and retailers continue providing essential goods with no signs of unusual demand.
During the interview, Sulaitin said that the ESCD previously launched 15 main indicators for risks, divided into 300 sub-indicators to predict and forecast risks, adding that in Dubai, “we have learned not to wait for crises to happen, but to be prepared for them in advance.”
He closed by recounting a quote given by Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during the 2009 financial crisis. In short, time will pass, and the UAE will remain the world’s safe haven.
The ESCD is an independent public entity, established in 2016 to combat corruption and economic crimes, as well as to help with the legislations of economic security. In early March, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Free Zones Council and Emirates NBD to support the emirate’s free zones ecosystem.
The Center’s 2025-2030 strategy, reviewed by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, aims to strengthen Dubai’s economic stability and progress by identifying key investment opportunities, and anticipating and addressing economic risks while safeguarding society from economic crimes.
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.
