00:09Now, when you hear West Asia, what is it that comes to mind?
00:12In our circles, it's usually something not encouraging,
00:16maybe sirens in Tel Aviv or explosions in Beirut
00:19or long and bloody civil wars.
00:21Unfortunately, that's been the media stereotype about West Asia.
00:24But even in this gloom, one city has always stood out,
00:28sort of like an oasis, far removed from wars or proxies or missiles,
00:33the city of gleaming towers and artificial beaches,
00:36a city of foreign businessmen, influencers and sports icons,
00:40a picture of calm amid chaos.
00:42I'm talking about the city of Dubai.
00:45But in the last two days, that calm has been shattered.
00:48Hotels in Dubai have been hit by Iran.
00:50The question is, will this permanently hurt the city's global ambitions?
00:54And what is the UAE government doing about it?
00:58There's a meme floating around on social media.
01:01Came to Dubai for the tax shelter, now stuck in a bomb shelter.
01:06In peacetime, it may have elicited a few laughs.
01:10But now, in the middle of booming drone interceptions and burning hotels,
01:15there are few laughs.
01:18Dubai is sitting in the middle of a war zone,
01:20and the next Iranian strike could land anywhere.
01:25This footage probably sums it up best.
01:28An Iranian projectile flying dangerously close to the iconic Burj Khalifa.
01:34Thankfully, it's blown up before impact.
01:38Other sites were not so lucky.
01:39On Palm Island, the Fairmont Hotel was targeted by Iranian Shahhead drones.
01:46Tourists rushed out in panic as a fire broke out.
01:54The Burj al-Arab Hotel met the same fate.
01:58This high-rise, along with the Khalifa,
02:01is the poster child of Dubai's glittering skyline.
02:05Overnight, it was hit by Iranian drone debris.
02:09Dubai's ports were not safe either.
02:12Both the airport and the seaport were hit by projectiles.
02:15Such scenes were unthinkable until yesterday.
02:20A war in West Asia may not shake you up as much,
02:24but strikes and drones in Dubai,
02:27that's enough to shake up anyone.
02:30Because Dubai wasn't just a city.
02:32It was an exception and an inspiration
02:35in a region known for instability.
02:38The city's history goes back centuries.
02:42Dubai began its journey as a small fishing village.
02:45In the 20th century,
02:47it was developed as a trading and transport hub.
02:51After all, here was a city located on the Persian Gulf
02:55near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.
02:58Then, in the 1960s, came the oil boom.
03:03Dubai did not squander its oil revenue.
03:06The ruling family invested all that money into infrastructure.
03:10By the 2000s, the city was home to global icons.
03:14Like the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
03:19And the Palm Island, an artificial archipelago,
03:23home to luxury residences and hotels.
03:27Even now, trade and transit remain crucial for Dubai's success.
03:32The city's airport handles 95 million passengers annually.
03:36The Jebel Ali seaport handles 15.5 million 20-foot equivalent units of cargo.
03:44As a safe, swanky, and prosperous city,
03:48Dubai is home to a cosmopolitan population.
03:52Only 10% of the population is Emirati.
03:55The remaining 90% are from outside,
03:59from dozens of nationalities.
04:02This booming success of Dubai was based on the stability and peace that it offered.
04:09Other cities like Jeddah and Doha tried to replicate its success.
04:13But if you cannot guarantee that stability and peace,
04:18will these cities flourish?
04:20Will tourism or trade thrive?
04:23Only time will tell.
04:28Power doesn't end quietly.
04:31Some deaths are not accidents.
04:34They are messages.
04:36A gunshot.
04:38A crowd.
04:40A country frozen.
04:42The killer disappears.
04:44The questions don't.
04:46This is not just about who died.
04:49It's about what followed.
04:51Governments fell.
04:53Armies moved.
04:55History rewrote itself.
04:58Five leaders.
04:59Five moments.
05:02One pattern.
05:04The assassination.
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