I remember 28 February clearly. I was playing padel at Bluewaters with friends when our match was interrupted by loud sounds overhead. At first, we paused to make sense of what was happening, but after a short while we carried on playing. Looking back, that reaction says a lot about the confidence many of us have in Dubai.
For the past four years, that was also how I experienced business in Dubai. I arrived as a strategic communications consultant, worked across some of the region’s most ambitious government and technology accounts, and eventually founded my own agency, Sumea Social. It was a career move I didn’t know was possible, especially coming from Europe. From the day I arrived, Dubai gave me speed, access, optimism, and the belief that building something from scratch was possible.
That is why, when regional tensions escalated, my first reaction was to assume that the impact on my business would be limited. I followed the news, of course, but I didn’t expect it to have a meaningful impact on my agency. My experience of Dubai had been shaped by years of pace, growth, and a regulatory mindset designed to open doors rather than hold people back.
But things changed in March.
Within weeks, client decisions began to shift. Some paused their collaborations altogether, while others put projects on hold until there was greater certainty. Anyone working in marketing knows communications budgets are often among the first to come under scrutiny. For any agency, large or small, that has serious implications.
At that point, I had two choices. I could react immediately, or I could accept that the market had taken a breath and use the time well. Looking at how quickly and transparently the authorities responded, I felt confident.
So, I chose the second option. I travelled. I worked on my book. I spent time learning more about AI agents and how they could reshape agency work. I looked at my business with more distance than I usually allow myself when client delivery fills every week.
In my mind, I was preparing for a quieter period before activity picked up again in September. Anyone who has worked in Dubai knows that business follows a seasonal rhythm, with many people choosing to travel over the summer before returning in the autumn. Given the regional uncertainty, I expected that pattern to be slightly more pronounced this year.
Instead, the opposite happened.
By early July, my agency was busier than ever. Referrals came in. Paused projects started moving again. Prospective clients reached out after AI tools recommended Sumea Social. New conversations I thought would take months to progress reopened within weeks. Confidence returned before the traditional September restart.
“The past four months taught me more about Dubai’s business confidence than four smooth years ever could.”
That was the real surprise. Dubai’s business confidence had been tested, but the recovery came faster than I expected. The city has weathered shocks before, including the global pandemic, and each time its core promise has reasserted itself: this is a place where people come to build, grow, and find opportunity over the long term.
It also made me question some of my assumptions about how Dubai responds to uncertainty. Instead of retreating, many organisations adapted at speed, continued investing, and planned beyond the immediate news cycle. Business confidence was driven by a shared belief in the city’s long-term trajectory.
The past four months taught me more about Dubai’s business confidence than four smooth years ever could. I started the year thinking I understood the city’s resilience. Then I watched my agency slow down, recalibrate, and regain momentum more quickly than I had anticipated. In doing so, my belief in Dubai was reinforced. There is an appetite and ambition that I have not seen anywhere else, and the way Dubai responded to regional tensions was another demonstration of its enduring attitude.
By Svenja Maltzahn, Founder, Sumea Social
