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UAE residents push back against panic on social media, say country remains safe
As misinformation spreads, residents say their message is simple: caution is reasonable, fear is human — but panic fuelled by exaggeration helps no one
- PUBLISHED: Tue 3 Mar 2026, 5:00 AM UPDATED: Tue 3 Mar 2026, 9:07 AM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid Israeli, US strikes on Iran for the latest regional developments.]
As dramatic claims and alarming videos circulate across social media, many UAE residents say their lived reality over the past few days has been far calmer than what is being portrayed online — and that while fear is natural, trust in leadership and institutions has shaped how they respond.
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“We are not saying nothing is happening, and everything is fine and dandy,” said Mohammed Daqqaq, a communications director based in Abu Dhabi. “But the way it’s being portrayed outside — as if there is chaos or a war — that’s simply not what we are experiencing on the ground.”
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Daqqaq said exaggerated coverage and viral posts had caused unnecessary panic among family and friends abroad, even as daily life inside the UAE largely continued.
“I checked the news, then I moved on with my life,” he said. “I went to the mosque, I went shopping. People weren’t panic-buying. It was a normal weekly shopping. I drove from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and found traffic moving as usual.”
According to Daqqaq, official updates and visible security measures helped reinforce a sense of control rather than alarm. “We trust the country, the leadership, and the government. When we started seeing updates and actions, it made people feel more confident, not scared.”
‘Shops were open, the mall was full’
For Shahed Mardini, founder of Biscuits & More and a mother of two young boys, the most distressing part of the situation was not what she saw locally, but the frantic messages coming from abroad.
“My mother called me from Damascus, saying she saw explosions in Abu Dhabi on Instagram,” Mardini said. “I reassured her that ‘there is nothing. We are at the mall playing with the kids’.”
Mardini said she was at Reem Mall with her children when messages began circulating online. “The mall was full. People were relaxed. We even went out for breakfast later, and it was crowded.”
She acknowledged the initial fear, particularly among children who heard the notifications' alarm sounds, but said the situation quickly stabilised. “We were scared initially, of course. But schools moved online and some people worked from home — that was the only real change.”
Experience shapes perspective
For residents who have lived through war elsewhere, comparisons being drawn online have felt especially misplaced.
Muna Tamim, a first aid trainer who previously lived through the 2006 war in Lebanon, said the difference was stark. “In Lebanon, shells were falling on buildings. Entire structures were collapsing in front of us,” she said. “Here, there is nothing like that. You hear a sound, and then it’s gone.”
Tamim said while it was natural to feel unsettled, particularly in a country where people are used to a high level of safety, the situation never felt out of control.
“We worried at first, because we’re not used to this here at all,” she said. “But you still feel everything is under control. There is a huge difference between real war and what people are describing online.”
She added that some of the most extreme narratives circulating on social media, including talk of a “third world war”, bore little resemblance to daily life in Abu Dhabi. “People are exaggerating. The media outside is making a storm out of nothing.”
Fear spreads faster than facts
Several residents noted that while malls, shops and roads remained open, there was caution in the air — particularly on social gatherings and outdoor events.
Daqqaq said restaurants had reported dozens of iftar cancellations, not because venues were closed, but because families felt uneasy.
“It’s not a government decision — it’s personal fear,” he said. “If parents are scared, they won’t go out. So, organisers of company iftars and suhoors are cancelling events because they won’t succeed anyway.”
Still, he stressed that this was not the same as public panic. “I went to the mall at night. Shops were open. Parking was full, as usual.”
‘Trust built over time’
One post that resonated widely online came from Samira Boudiab, who wrote about being stranded abroad due to flight cancellations while her children remained in Dubai.
“The difference is trust,” she wrote. “Trust that the safety and security of people are always the priority in the UAE.”
Boudiab described feeling at peace knowing her children were safe at home, supported by community and essential services — a sentiment echoed by many residents interviewed.
For Daqqaq, that trust is not blind. “It’s not delusional,” he said. “It’s based on how this country has handled crises in the past — and how it is handling this one now [Iranian attack].”
As misinformation continues to spread, residents say their message is simple: caution is reasonable, fear is human — but panic fuelled by exaggeration helps no one.
“Life didn’t stop,” said Mardini. “We adapted, we stayed aware — and we kept living.”
