Despite its perilous location, Dubai has generally been insulated from the wars and conflicts that intermittingly roil the region. It is making the Gulf states walk a tightrope on Iran, the US and Israel where balance is impossible to maintain. The Gulf states are now being put in a position where they have to set aside their neutrality and pick a side. For many Irish expats who have put down roots in the region, this may be a moment of reckoning. Raymond Barrett is an Irish journalist based in the Washington, DC area and the author of Dubai Dreams: Inside the Kingdom of Bling

Source: The Irish Times March 08, 2026 12:12 UTC