A senior United Arab Emirates official said he remains cautiously hopeful that diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran could gain momentum, pointing to recent progress facilitated by Qatar as concerns over a renewed military clash continue to spread across the Middle East.
“We see some progress. … We hope that both sides will be able to reach a point where they will start building trust and engaging in a way to avoid the war, to find a political solution. … I am a little bit optimistic, but I don’t exclude the other option,” Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE’s Federal National Council, told News Media in an exclusive interview.
His assessment followed a Nov. 5 Reuters report that Tehran had sent Washington a fresh nuclear proposal through Qatar. Iran has nevertheless maintained that seven requirements must be met before talks can move forward, including sanctions relief and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade.
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the UAE Federal National Council’s Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, speaks to News Media in Abu Dhabi about the Iranian threat, regional security and prospects for diplomacy. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
President Donald Trump has left open the possibility of additional military action, while Iran has warned that any renewed fighting could trigger a wider response.
The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough is particularly significant for the UAE, which faced thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks earlier this year. Still, officials stress that optimism must be matched by readiness.
“We plan for the worst. We hope for the best. … We always make sure that we are ready to deal with all the challenges or the threats,” Al Nuaimi said.
That balance between confidence and caution was visible throughout News Media’s reporting trip across the Emirates. Despite the geopolitical uncertainty, everyday life appeared largely undisturbed.
In central Dubai, restaurant patios were full on a recent evening. Tourists moved through the streets as crowds watched a choreographed fountain performance blending Arabic music with familiar Western pop songs.
Businesses remained open, foreign travelers continued to arrive and the city maintained its familiar image of prosperity, tourism and global connectivity.
Crowds gather to enjoy an evening fountain show in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as daily life continues despite the threat of renewed regional conflict with Iran. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
A similar contrast was on display in Abu Dhabi, where News Media attended the opening of ADIPEC 2026, one of the world’s largest energy gatherings. The conference took place amid continuing tensions with Iran and disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported on Oct. 29. that executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron had called off planned appearances at the event because of security concerns.
Inside the exhibition center, however, delegates from across the globe met to discuss investment, unveil partnerships and consider technological responses to a deepening energy crisis.
The scene underscored the UAE’s determination to keep its economy functioning while adapting to a dramatically altered regional security landscape.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan greets President Donald Trump at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Preparing for another confrontation
The UAE has already borne a heavy cost because of its proximity to the conflict.
More than 3,000 Iranian missiles and drones struck targets in the Emirates during the war, according to figures cited by The Associated Press on Nov. 2. The attacks resulted in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. Although the UAE has not been targeted by a new Iranian strike since May, the possibility of another escalation continues to shape the country’s security planning.
Al Nuaimi said the UAE views itself as a country committed to peace but will take action to defend its citizens when necessary.
“Every nation, when it is attacked, [has] the right to defend their people, their sovereignty, their nation,” he said.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Cruel member of Syria’s sinister Tiger Forces who fed Assad’s prisoners to his pet LION ‘is publicly executed by rebels’ – NewsFinale
At the same time, he distinguished between Iran’s government and its people, whom he said have suffered under the regime. “The Iranian people deserve to be respected, accepted. They have great values, great civilization, and they are our neighbor.”
A man walks past a housing compound as a tall plume of black smoke ascends following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran’s strikes on Gulf neighbours since February 28, following the US-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travellers who thought they were headed to one of the region’s safest holiday destinations. (Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)
A partnership beyond any administration
Despite the UAE’s confrontation with Iran, Al Nuaimi rejected the idea that the country’s relationship with Washington should be defined mainly by the current crisis or by whichever administration is in power.
“We don’t see our relationship with the United States through these conflicts, through security and defense. No, it’s a partnership. It’s a strategic partnership. It is a sustainable partnership. … Our main partnership is with the United States as a nation, with the American people.”
He said cooperation extends well beyond defense to include education, health care, technology, energy and investment—areas he described as durable despite political changes in Washington.
“We don’t look at the United States through a certain administration. Our engagement and partnership with the United States … [is] with the nation. It’s with the people. … We have the flexibility and the ability to [adapt] and engage with any administration.”
His comments came as Gulf governments place growing importance on their security ties with Washington, particularly as Iranian threats endanger regional infrastructure and global shipping routes.
During the opening ceremony of ADIPEC on Nov. 2, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s minister of industry and advanced technology and chief executive of state-owned energy giant ADNOC, said the country’s resilience was built over many years. “We did not write our resilience playbook during this disruption. We wrote it years before,” Al Jaber told attendees.
That message echoed the broader theme heard from officials and analysts during News Media’s visit: even with the risk of another regional escalation, the UAE wants to remain a dependable international partner.
The exhibition floor at ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where global energy companies showcased new technologies and innovations amid growing concerns over energy security and regional instability. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
Security beyond military defense
In a separate exclusive interview with News Media in Dubai, Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Emirati research center B’huth, said the conflict with Iran has broadened the UAE’s understanding of national security.
“Our resilience now becomes our deterrence,” Baharoon said.
He said the country’s security strategy is not limited to stopping missiles and drones. It also includes maintaining dependable energy and food supplies, protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring that international commerce can continue during a crisis.
Baharoon argued that the conflict should not be viewed simply as a bilateral confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Instead, he identified three connected conflicts: the initial American-Israeli campaign against Iran, Tehran’s attacks on Gulf states and Iran’s interference with global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The second war was Iran’s attack on the GCC, because that attack was also unprovoked,” Baharoon said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council.
He characterized the disruption of maritime traffic as a separate challenge to the global economy, with effects reaching countries far beyond the Middle East.
Yet despite his criticism of Tehran, Baharoon said Iran should not be regarded as a permanent enemy. The country’s population, economic resources and strategic location could make it an important force for regional prosperity if its leaders moved away from confrontation, he said.
Attendees gather at ADIPEC 2026, one of the world’s largest energy conferences, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 2–5, 2026, as industry leaders discuss global energy security, technological innovation and the growing role of artificial intelligence. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
The UAE now faces the challenge of preparing for another possible confrontation while preserving the diplomatic and economic ties it has spent decades developing. Dubai’s busy streets and Abu Dhabi’s crowded conference halls reflect a country determined to keep moving forward even as the threat of war remains nearby. Whether the latest talks with Iran produce a diplomatic breakthrough or give way to renewed fighting, the Emirates is relying on its resilience to withstand the next crisis while continuing to pursue its long-term ambitions.