Dubai: As a Lebanese national living in Abu Dhabi, Amal Harb watches the news differently.She said: “Having family back home [in Lebanon] means every period of regional tension brings concern. You watch the news differently when your loved ones are there.”It’s why she appreciates the safety and stability of the UAE, the country that she calls her adopted home, where she has lived for 28 years. She explained: “When Lebanon came under attack in October 2024, my family was with me in Abu Dhabi less than 24 hours later. It was an emotional time for all of us, but knowing they could reach safety so quickly reminds me just how fortunate we are to call the UAE home. It means I can be present when my family needs me while also raising my son in an environment that offers consistency, security and opportunity.”Harb is the executive director of Abu Dhabi-based Insight Out Consultancy. Her connection with the UAE is an old one – she first started visiting the country when she was 12, and her father brought her along in the summer, during his business trips.She said: “When everyone used to leave Abu Dhabi during the summer, you would find me here, spending time at my father’s business and enjoying the holidays with the few friends who stayed behind. The sun, the beach and the bowling alley were my favourite pastimes.”After graduating from university in Lebanon, she knew she wanted to move to the UAE permanently – it was “the most natural decision”. So, she packed her bags and “came with hope, ambition and a suitcase full of uncertainty. What started as a search for a future and a career became something much bigger. Abu Dhabi became the place where I built my career, found lifelong friendships, raised my son and grew into the person I am today.”A nation that bounces back, every timeHarb said she has seen the UAE bounce back from difficult times, be it the pandemic, or the global financial crisis. Picture credit: SuppliedYear after year, the country keeps giving her reasons to stay.Foremost among them is peace of mind. Harb said: “Living somewhere where institutions function, where progress is constant and where safety isn't something you have to think about every day changes the way you live your life. It's easy to take those things for granted until you've experienced life without them. Coming from a country that has endured decades of conflict and uncertainty, they mean everything to me.”The sense of security UAE offers extends to challenging moments as well, not just periods of peace.Harb said she has seen the country bounce back from difficult times, be it the pandemic, or the global financial crisis, and it’s what fuels her confidence in the UAE’s resilience: “No country is immune to global events. The question is how it responds. The UAE has built a culture of action. It plans, adapts, invests and keeps moving forward.” The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, showed the remarkable efficiency of UAE’s leadership and governance: “During COVID, I remember seeing decisions being made quickly, support being rolled out, vaccination programmes implemented at remarkable speed, and clear communication that gave people confidence during an incredibly uncertain time.”The authorities’ resourcefulness and pragmatism built up her confidence, too: “As someone working in travel and hospitality, one of the industries hit hardest, it would have been easy to lose hope. Instead, I watched businesses innovate and the country steadily reopen with a level of organisation that earned global respect. We adapted, redeployed our talent wherever possible so that no one lost their job, and together we helped drive one of the hospitality industry's strongest recoveries. Those moments reinforced something I had already been learning over many years: this is a country that faces challenges head-on.”Strength in diversityAnother reason that draws her to the country is the diversity of the residential community. Harb worked for years in marketing and hospitality, before working in consultancy, and met people from all over the world. She said: “Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with incredible people from every continent, learning from different cultures every single day. That diversity shapes the way you think. It teaches you humility, adaptability and perspective.”Her son, aged 14, is now experiencing the same safe, multicultural environment that acts as an incubator for hopes and dreams. Harb said: “Like every parent, you want your child to grow up somewhere they feel safe, respected and able to dream without unnecessary limitations. He speaks Lebanese [Arabic] with me at home, English with his father, and even Emirati Arabic with his Emirati friends. He's also learning French and Mandarin at school. Diversity isn't something he's taught in theory, it's simply how his daily life looks.”Multiply Harb’s reality by thousands, or even millions of families, and it reveals how a nation that celebrates multiculturalism thrives. Harb said she has watched generations of people invest not just their careers in the UAE, but their whole lives: “That creates something powerful, a shared belief that this country is worth building together. When millions of people continue choosing a place year after year, contributing their ideas, their businesses, their cultures and their futures, that creates resilience that goes far beyond infrastructure or economics.”Loyalty towards leadershipLooking back, Harb finds that residents’ confidence in the UAE and its leadership doesn’t come from optimism alone, rather it is built on years of experience and insight.She said: “I have enormous respect for the country's leadership, the rule of law and the freedoms we've been able to enjoy. Having experienced life elsewhere, I would choose the UAE every single time.”For residents like Harb, who are warmly welcomed to the UAE, the simple opportunity to reside in a nation that looks forward, while giving its people the warmth and security they need, is a remarkable gift.She said: “People rarely leave home because they want to. Most leave because they're searching for opportunity, stability, safety or a better future for their families. The UAE offers a rare combination of those things.”
