The Christian Science Monitor: The war did not create Emirati national identity, it revealed its maturity
In a report by The Christian Science Monitor published on July 27, 2026, titled “Targeted by Iran, this Gulf nation emerges stronger,” on how the UAE emerged from the Iran war with a new sense of national pride, Dr. Salem Alketbi spoke about the confidence of citizens and residents in the state, and about the institutional model the UAE has built over decades.
What he told the Monitor
“Citizens saw their confidence in the state reinforced. They saw the UAE not merely as a place to work, but as a country capable of protecting the stability on which their lives depend.”
“In a country where people from so many nationalities live together, resilience became a shared civic experience. The war strengthened confidence not only in the leadership, but also in the institutional model that has been built over decades.”
“The war did not create Emirati national identity; it revealed how mature it has become.”
