Letters: Readers share reasons they love the UAE and praise the country’s efforts during COVID-19

In love with the UAE

I came to the UAE more than two decades ago after my husband's posting from London. In no time, I fell in love with this country. I came with two very young children and did not know anyone living in Dubai when I first arrived but settling in was easy. I am grateful to the Almighty that my children could attend a fantastic British-curriculum school in primary and secondary schools. The UAE schools facilitated a breadth of extracurricular activities and opportunities, including the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award. The unique opportunity to live in the Middle East allowed my children to learn about the region's culture through Arabic and Islamic education studies. I embraced the opportunity of learning Arabic and the unique Emirati culture. Additionally, for our family, hearing the Azaan (prayer call) five times a day was a blessing. After 24 years in Dubai, the beautiful friends we've made have become like family. I find Dubai to be one of the safest cities in the world. With my husband spending much of the year travelling for business, I have always felt very safe and secure living alone with kids. Another vital aspect to me was the cleanliness of the city, which is remarkable. I have never stopped to marvel at the progress the UAE has acquired. It's a comparatively young country, but the opportunities and developments have been enormous. The credit of its success goes to its leaders' vision and their commitments to progress, advancement, knowledge, and growth. In my two decades here, I have been amazed by the growth, impressive infrastructure, and visible achievements in various fields. When I first arrived here, the World Trade Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road was the tallest building. Soon we developed a fabulous skyline and witnessed the most dashing architectural masterpieces in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While the country has seen a rise in architecture, it's not deprived of natural beauty in its landscape, consisting of beautiful wadis, deserts, beaches, and mountainous landscapes.

Dubai holds a special place in our family's hearts, and its journey is personal to us. We rejoice on National Day and feel pure pride and admiration whenever the UAE amazes the world. The culture here encourages knowledge-seeking, preservation of history, innovation, art, literature, and design festivals. It's a hub for some of the biggest concerts, sports events, exhibitions, and conferences. Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding is such a great opportunity to learn about the country's heritage, language, and culture. UAE also launched their reconnaissance satellite mission, the Hope Probe, and last week it becomes the first Arab and Islamic country to reach Mars. I was proud to watch this historical achievement live on television in unity with the whole country and prayed for its success. As a woman, I feel proud that this wonderful country is an excellent example of progression. Gender equality is prevalent with women in important roles and positions in all industries. Furthermore, the UAE gives aid wholeheartedly to other countries at a humanitarian level, being one of the top donors. UAE is additionally the best example of tolerance. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UAE's COVID-19 management and the virus's handling has been exemplary. The UAE stayed resilient and proactive in the face of the pandemic. Recently, I was speaking at an international conference on the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 and was asked what more could the UAE do? I said proudly, that what we did in March and April 2020 is what many developed countries are doing now! They showed how to fight COVID-19 with appropriate regulation, enforcement, and the disinfection drive, and a world-leading vaccination programme. Its leaders' vision, values, optimism, growth, and strong institutions and laws seem to be UAE's strength. Thank you, UAE.