War? Keep calm and carry on: How the UAE became an emotion

[This article is part of a series on Khaleej Times' 48^th anniversary, celebrating a legacy of credible journalism that informs, reassures and connects communities.]

What does resilience really look like? It is not about projecting strength. Neither is it resigned acceptance of circumstances. Resilience, quite simply, is about carrying on despite the challenges. It is about believing in the promise of tomorrow even when the present looks uncertain.

In newsrooms, this resilience often translates into a commitment to tell stories that impact the communities in which we publish. This is the commitment that had our digital journalists logged in round the clock to bring you latest developments on the war. This is the commitment that had our reporters track its regional impact. This is the commitment that had us, in the Life team, document how civil society came together during looming uncertainty. Our desire to tell these stories was born out of the very essence of the UAE itself — the country never gives up because its people don’t.

Life, which comprises lifestyle, entertainment and sports stories, was meant to be escapist reading, transporting you to alternate worlds where hope resided. Turned out, we did not really have to escape at all. There were stories of hope and resilience unfolding right in front of us. From dining concepts that allowed you to buy food for strangers to businesses that were opening doors to anxious travellers, even Primark’s entry into the UAE market sent a definitive message: we were carrying on. It was as much an act of resistance as it was an act of persistence. In carrying on, we were standing up for ourselves.

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Civil society in the UAE comprises citizens and expats from all over the world. In this moment of uncertainty, the two spoke in one voice. The pride was rooted in the knowledge that this country had opened a world of opportunities to those who chose to call it home. Opportunities that have transformed millions of lives.

As the first English language newspaper of the UAE, we have been at the forefront of documenting the evolution of the country. This time, however, we observed something else: the UAE is also an emotion.