Dubai has always had its lovers and its haters. Its lovers are usually made up of the 99.99% of people that have visited, explored, eaten, drank, brunched, sweated through summers they swore would be their last, sailed, abra'd, paddle boarded, taxi'd at 3am, watched the sun rise over the creek, got lost in the souk, found themselves in the marina, and somehow never quite managed to leave. Its haters are the 0.1% who technically visited but did none of the above and a plethora of people who have never actually stepped foot in the Emirates, or the Middle East for that matter.

The last few weeks have been particularly hard for Dubai's lovers, there has been fear, not only for ourselves which has been minimal thanks to the efforts of the UAE government, but for the city as a whole. But also because we've seen the dramatisation of the actual, the delight in the potential of Dubai's downfall, the debates about if Dubai's expats deserve support in leaving if they so want (we don't, we're staying put thank you) and that is probably the hardest of them all. Do we become keyboard warriors against people who have already made their minds up or do we put our energy into something more positive closer to home? We're choosing the latter, as tempting as the former is.

Every single person who lives in Dubai has a better life than if they had remained in their home country. Why else would we leave our mothers, fathers, children, friends, husbands, wives sometimes for months or years at a time. Why else would we start a life from scratch, learning new habits in an unfamiliar territory. Why else would we sweat it out in another summer of 51°C and 90%.

Love.

Love for a place that has welcomed us all with open arms. Love for a place that tolerates every religion, every race, every nationality. Love for a place that we have met the person we marry and raised children with them. Love for a place that has allowed our businesses to grow and our ambitions to stretch further than we ever thought possible. Love for a place that has enabled our dreams.

These past few days, as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, called on the citizens and residents of the UAE to raise the UAE flag above homes, institutions and buildings, it wasn't just Emiratis that answered the call. It was all. From Talabat riders flying the flag on their delivery boxes to billboards thanking the UAE leadership to cranes displaying their flags up high and to every Dubai iconic building lit up in the national colours. That's not 'being paid to say nice things about Dubai'. That's love for the country that we all call home.

So as we recollect and move forward from the last few weeks, our faith is in Dubai just as much as before, perhaps even stronger. Because from the bakalas to the Burj Khalifa, this is the city of everything, the city of opposites where somehow everyone meets in the middle. Proof that there is good in the world. This beautiful city, filled with culture, home to over 200 different nationalities, builder of dreams - and perhaps the best example that you really can do anything if you believe in yourself. For us, Dubai has never just been a place to live. it's the place that made us who we are.

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