One of the biggest losers will undoubtedly be the GCC countries which, despite a tumultuous past, had positioned themselves as impermeable to the vagaries of their restive neighbourhood.

[…] Censure or no censure, the damage has already been done. Take the case of Dubai — arguably the biggest loser among the GCC states.

As soon as Iranian drones struck near Dubai airport, the city — which relied so heavily on being seen as untouched by regional turmoil — lost that illusion of security.

Within hours, debris from a downed drone caused a fire at Burj al-Arab, damaging the iconic building that symbolised the emirate’s carefully crafted image.

Soon after, influencers — the very people Dubai had courted so fervently — began posting frantic videos about their fear and their desperation to leave.

Read the full op-ed by Rafia Zakaria here.