Here's why the UAE didn't collapse in the face of US/ Iran war
· 44 min · Episode 99
Episode Here's why the UAE didn't collapse in the face of US/ Iran war
Day 56 of the Iran war. Most international press wrote Dubai's obituary in March. Predictions of a mass exodus, the end of the UAE story, a 15 year setback. None of it happened. 2,800 strikes were fired at this region. Almost nobody left. Trevor McFarlane, Founder and CEO of EMIR, advisor to GCC CEOs and government leaders, explains why.
Recorded in Dubai, April 22, 2026. Day 56 of the Iran war. Chapters:
00:00 Reality TV geopolitics (cold open)
00:44 Day 56: where the UAE actually stands
01:48 Why this is a "coercive pause," not a resolution
03:43 Why Rory Stewart was wrong about Dubai
11:32 What systems thinking means for a country under attack
14:54 Which sectors hold up — and which don't
21:34 Tourism, luxury, and the floating population
24:09 The next phase: sovereign resiliency in the GCC
31:28 150 CEOs, 2,800 strikes, nobody left
36:54 The real story: sociological diversification
40:18 "A place you belong, not a place you use"
41:08 Rapid fire: GDP, levers, decisions in uncertainty
Trevor McFarlane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormcfarlane-emir/ EMIR: https://www.emirintelligence.com/
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