When I bought my apartment in Dubai, in the second half of 2024, everyone back in India said it was the smartest thing I’d done in my life. “The UAE is the future,” was the common consensus.

Eighteen months later, barely 48 hours after the UAE skies boomed with the interceptions of Iran’s missiles, I started getting a slew of earnest calls from brokers who wanted to know if I wanted to “distress sell” my apartment. Alongside, I was part of conversations with panicky NRI friends who were conjuring up relocation plans. From India, I was hearing verdicts like “the Gulf dream is definitively over”, while Indian and western media wrote obituaries on Dubai.

I’d be lying if I stated I wasn’t breaking out into occasional frissons of fears even as I gamely professed “Giving up is something the UAE doesn’t do.”

But in a week, even as attacks continued unabated and ordnance talk became currency of the day, it devolved that the UAE, as usual, had a plan. A seamless, targeted one that took effect long any broader peace plans were discussed: “This too shall pass, and we will emerge stronger than ever.”

So now, when the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding is ‘purposefully’ taking shape, the mood among UAE residents is “business as usual”. The gratitude — something that is difficult to demystify to anyone who’s not been a resident here and experienced the UAE first-hand — has remained a constant.

The relief is a bonus.

‘The peace plan is a signal of a strong return that will disproportionately benefit those who operate in the India-UAE corridor’

– Debu Mishra, founder, reAImagination.com

“When the war came, I had every reason to shut down and go back to India. reAImagination was weeks old, started just before the first strikes. Despite messages from friends and family I chose to stay. Here is why.

I had arrived in 2007, into the financial reckoning, and watched Dubai absorb the blow and keep building. I returned in April 2021, to a stronger UAE. Each time, the India-UAE-GCC corridor de-risked itself a little more: trade rerouted, capital stayed, talent kept arriving.

So this peace plan is not relief to me. It is a signal of a strong return that will disproportionately benefit those who operate in the India-UAE corridor. I am already fielding calls from entrepreneurs and CXOs who want to talk about the opportunity landscape.”

‘After recalibration and future-proofing, now is the time to look at expansions’

– Michelle Silva, public relations entrepreneur and consultant

“Having been in the UAE for nearly two decades and experienced different circumstances, I have always been confident of how the country will bounce back. When the war broke out in the region, while business continued as usual in my field of specialised public relations, small businesses started recalibrating and ensuring that they were future proofing their goals and strategies. With a peace deal looking to take shape now, it will be time to look at expansions that would help in future business growth”

‘Sustained peace will unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration’

– Atul Chopra, serial entrepreneur

“As an Indian entrepreneur privileged to call the UAE home, I welcome every step that advances peace and regional stability. The UAE has long demonstrated that diplomacy and economic openness are powerful drivers of prosperity. A more stable region is likely to restore traveller confidence, encourage international tourism, and reinforce Dubai’s position as one of the world’s leading destinations for business, leisure, and events. Increased visitor flows will benefit hospitality, retail, aviation, and the wider services economy while strengthening investor sentiment. I remain optimistic that sustained peace will unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and cross-border collaboration across the region.”

‘The peace deal will also bring stability to businesses across India’

– Arnab Ghosh, strategic marketing professional and martial artist

“As a UAE resident NRI, I hope this peace deal brings some stability to businesses across India that rely on not just oil supply, but also on other trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Likewise, the peace deal will hopefully bring back those people who either lost their jobs or were sent on long leaves because of the regional instability, even though the UAE was not directly involved.

But also locally, I hope this means a drop in petrol prices. In all my years in the UAE, I have never paid higher for a full rank of petrol than I had to this month. Although I must confess: staycations have never felt more pocket-friendly!”

‘The proposed peace initiative will get us stability, dialogue, and a vision for the future’

– Shabana, marketing, media & PR consultant

“Born and raised in Dubai, I have spent my entire life in the UAE. Like many NRIs, I carry Indian roots, but the UAE is where my story has unfolded. My family, education, career, and many of life’s defining moments have all been shaped here.

The proposed peace initiative is more than political news. It is a reminder of the values that have helped the UAE thrive — stability, dialogue, and a clear vision for the future. Through periods of global and regional uncertainty, the country’s leadership has consistently inspired confidence through its calm and measured approach.” – Sushmita Bose is Consulting Editor, NRIFocus.com