The President of the UAE and the Crown Prince of Dubai made a visible public appearance at one of the city’s most prominent shopping destinations yesterday evening, greeting residents and visitors in what Dubai’s Media Office described as a show of steady leadership amid ongoing Iranian strikes on the Gulf state.
Mohammed bin Zayed, 64, and Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, 43, were seen at Dubai Mall — located in the city’s downtown area beside the Burj Khalifa — where they sat for coffee and pastries at café Cipriani Dolci alongside other senior Emirati figures before strolling through the busy complex.
Footage posted on social media captured several moments from the visit. In one clip, the President embraced a young girl who ran over to greet him, posing for a photograph and kissing her hand. In another, a man from Ghana approached to shake the President’s hand and praised him for running a “very safe country,” to which the leader responded: “Enjoy your stay, have a good time.”
Dubai’s Media Office shared images from the visit accompanied by captions including “The leadership remains close to the people” and “Close to the people. Steady in leadership.”
The appearance came just hours after fresh explosions were reported across Dubai and other Gulf cities as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes, which began on Saturday following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack. Debris from the strikes has been reported at several major landmarks including Dubai International Airport, the Burj Al Arab hotel and Jebel Ali Port. The Fairmont hotel on Palm Jumeirah was set ablaze on Saturday after being struck by an Iranian missile, leaving four people injured. The Burj Khalifa was evacuated amid fears it could be targeted.
More than 100,000 British citizens in Dubai have registered their contact details with the Foreign Office as they await evacuation from the city, which is home to more than 240,000 Britons in total.
The strikes have also prompted a sharp divide on social media between those urging calm and those expressing alarm. Influencer Lauren Jarvis described waking to “loud explosions that literally shake the house” and seeing “multiple missiles going over your head”, while celebrities including Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison and former Apprentice contestant Luisa Zissman continued to describe Dubai as “one of the safest places in the world.” Their comments drew considerable mockery online, with social media users pointing out the irony of those who had relocated to Dubai for its perceived safety now facing Iranian missile strikes.
