— A senior United Arab Emirates official said he remains cautiously hopeful about U.S.-Iran diplomacy, pointing to recent progress through Qatari mediation while warning that the possibility of renewed military conflict still hangs over the Middle East.
“We are seeing some movement,” Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE’s Federal National Council, told News Outlet in an exclusive interview. “We hope both sides can reach a stage where they begin rebuilding trust and working toward a political solution that prevents war. I am somewhat optimistic, but I cannot rule out the other possibility.”
His comments followed a Reuters report on Nov. 5 that Iran had delivered a fresh nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar. Tehran has continued to demand that the United States satisfy seven conditions before formal talks can move forward, including sanctions relief and the lifting of the American naval blockade.
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the UAE Federal National Council’s Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses Iran, regional security and the prospects for diplomacy with News Outlet in Abu Dhabi. (Efrat Lachter/News Outlet)
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.
For the UAE, which faced thousands of Iranian missile and drone strikes earlier this year, a diplomatic breakthrough would bring relief. Still, officials stress that optimism must be matched by readiness.
“We prepare for the worst while hoping for the best,” Al Nuaimi said. “We always ensure that we are ready to confront every challenge and threat.”
That balance between confidence and caution was visible throughout News Outlet’s reporting trip across the Emirates. Despite the region’s uncertainty, daily life in the country continued with striking normality.
On a night in central Dubai, restaurant patios were filled with diners, tourists moved through the streets and spectators gathered for a musical fountain performance featuring a mix of Arabic music and Western pop.
Stores remained open, international travelers continued to arrive and the city maintained its familiar image of affluence, tourism and global connectivity.
Visitors gather for an evening fountain performance in downtown Dubai as life in the United Arab Emirates continues despite fears of renewed conflict with Iran. (Efrat Lachter/News Outlet)
The same contrast emerged in Abu Dhabi, where News Outlet attended the launch of ADIPEC 2026, one of the world’s largest energy gatherings. The conference took place as tensions with Iran persisted and disruptions continued to affect the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported on Oct. 29 that executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron had withdrawn from scheduled appearances days before the event because of security concerns.
Inside the exhibition center, however, international delegates met to discuss investments, unveil commercial partnerships and present technology aimed at addressing the global energy challenge.
The event underscored the UAE’s determination to keep its economy open and active while adapting to a dramatically more difficult security landscape.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomes President Donald Trump at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Ready for renewed conflict
The UAE has already experienced the consequences of being close to the conflict.
More than 3,000 Iranian missiles and drones were directed at the Emirates during the war, according to figures cited by The Associated Press on Nov. 2. The strikes killed and injured people and damaged civilian infrastructure. While no additional Iranian attacks had struck the UAE since May, the possibility of escalation has kept the country on alert.
Al Nuaimi said the UAE views itself as a nation committed to peace, but that commitment does not diminish its determination to defend its citizens.
“Any country that comes under attack has the right to defend its people, its sovereignty and its territory,” he said.
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At the same time, he distinguished between Iran’s governing regime and the Iranian population, which he said has suffered under that leadership. “The Iranian people deserve respect and acceptance. They have deep values, a great civilization and they are our neighbors.”
A man walks near a residential compound as a column of black smoke rises after an explosion in the Fujairah industrial area on March 3, 2026. Iranian strikes against Gulf neighbors after the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli attack forced the UAE to close its airspace, disrupting travelers who had viewed the country as one of the region’s safest destinations. (Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)
A relationship that outlasts political administrations
Despite the confrontation with Iran, Al Nuaimi rejected the idea that the UAE-U.S. relationship should be defined by the current crisis or tied to any one American administration.
“We do not view our relationship with the United States only through the lens of conflict, security or defense,” he said. “It is a partnership—a strategic and lasting partnership. Our primary relationship is with the United States as a country and with the American people.”
He said the partnership also encompasses education, health care, technology, energy and investment, making it resilient enough to withstand political transitions in Washington.
“We do not look at America through a particular administration,” he said. “Our engagement is with the nation and its people. We have the flexibility and capacity to adapt and work with any administration.”
His remarks came as Gulf governments increasingly rely on their security ties with Washington while Iran poses continuing risks to regional infrastructure and international shipping routes.
During the Nov. 2 opening of ADIPEC, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s minister of industry and advanced technology and chief executive of state energy company ADNOC, said the country’s resilience was built over many years. “We did not create our resilience playbook during this disruption,” Al Jaber told the audience. “We developed it years ago.”
That theme echoed the message delivered by officials and analysts throughout News Outlet’s visit: despite the threat of another escalation, the UAE intends to remain a dependable economic and international partner.
The ADIPEC 2026 exhibition floor in Abu Dhabi, where energy companies from around the world presented technologies and innovations amid concerns about energy security and regional instability. (Efrat Lachter/News Outlet)
National security extends beyond the battlefield
In a separate exclusive interview with News Outlet in Dubai, Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Emirati research institute B’huth, said the conflict with Iran had broadened the UAE’s understanding of national security.
“Our resilience has now become part of our deterrence,” Baharoon said.
He said protecting the country means more than stopping incoming missiles and drones. It also requires dependable energy supplies, secure food systems, functioning infrastructure and the ability to keep trade moving during a crisis.
Baharoon argued that the conflict should not be viewed simply as a dispute between Washington and Tehran.
Instead, he described three linked confrontations: the initial U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, Iran’s subsequent strikes on Gulf nations and Tehran’s disruption of 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 shipping disruption as a separate assault on the global economy, noting that its effects reach countries far beyond the Middle East.
Even while criticizing Iran’s leadership, Baharoon rejected the notion that the country must be viewed permanently as an enemy. Iran’s population, geographic position and economic potential could make it a major force for regional prosperity, he said, if its leaders moved away from confrontation.
Participants attend ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 2–5, 2026, as energy leaders examine global security, technological advances and the expanding role of artificial intelligence. (Efrat Lachter/News Outlet)
The UAE now faces the challenge of preparing for another possible confrontation without sacrificing the diplomatic and economic ties it has built over decades. Dubai’s busy streets and Abu Dhabi’s crowded conference halls reflect a nation determined to continue advancing even with the threat of war nearby. Whether the latest U.S.-Iran talks produce a breakthrough or give way to another round of violence, the Emirates is relying on its resilience to withstand the next crisis while continuing to pursue its long-term ambitions.
