No worries in the Gulf? That’s according to a Gallup survey which asked people in 107 countries what they thought was the world’s most important problem. Some 32% of UAE residents reported “no problems” when asked to rank their top concerns — higher than any other country in the world — with carefree Kuwait and Bahrain ranked second and third.
The Emirates largely shrugged off the economic uncertainty which topped concerns globally. Still, environmental issues loomed large for nearly a fifth of UAE respondents: 19% called the environment a top concern, second only to Denmark. Infrastructure, however, is a bigger concern in the UAE than in any other country in the region. One possible cause: Flooding in 2024 after a major rainstorm was a vivid reminder of just how vulnerable the Gulf is to increasingly dramatic weather events.