Safety of Indians living in UAE is a 'priority': Envoy

New Delhi: The UAE has assured India that the safety of Indians living in the Gulf country is its "priority", stressing that they are protected and treated like family, especially amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia which has seen the emirate facing attacks from Iran.

UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali also hailed India's move to co-sponsor a UN resolution that condemned Iran's attacks against Gulf countries, saying it was a statement of principle from a country that the UAE considers a strategic partner and friend, at a moment when it mattered most. The UAE will remember that India was among those "who stood with us first", he said.

"The safety of Indian nationals in the UAE is a priority. They are protected and are treated as family, including the 200 nationalities living in the country in peace and harmony," Alshaali told PTI Videos.

He said that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited five injured civilians in the hospital: two Emiratis, one Indian, one Sudanese and one Iranian. He said: “They are all our responsibility. 'Four million Indians live in the UAE'; they are not a statistic. They are the son from Kerala sending money home each month so his mother can pay her medical bills, the engineer from Hyderabad building infrastructure that will stand for a century, the teacher from Tamil Nadu shaping the futures of Emirati children," he said.

In 2024, the UAE was the second-largest source of remittances to India, totalling USD 21.6 billion.

"Those four million Indians represent families in every state of India whose livelihoods depend on a stable and secure UAE. Their safety is a personal responsibility that this country’s leadership carries every day," he said. "What I would say to Indian families is this: the UAE’s commitment to protecting the people who have built their lives here is absolute.” On Iranian attacks, Alshaali said the UAE's integrated air defence systems have intercepted a vast majority of incoming threats and the country "remains safe, secure, and well-protected".

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the UAE President before any resolution was drafted, before any multilateral statement and before any formal diplomatic process had begun.

"That call was received as an act of brotherhood. India then co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2817 -- a statement of principle from a country that the UAE considers a strategic partner and friend, at a moment it mattered most. The UAE will remember who stood with us. India was among those who stood with us first," he said.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2817, co-sponsored by India, sent a "clear and unified message that the international community will not tolerate attacks on our sovereignty or the deliberate targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure", he said.

When asked about the damage inflicted by Iran, Alshaali said Tehran launched a "sustained, unprovoked, and aggressive assault" against the Gulf countries.

"As of March 20, the UAE alone has faced 338 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and more than 1,740 drones, more than all other targeted countries combined," he said, adding that Iranian munitions have struck residential neighbourhoods, commercial districts and civilian infrastructure.

Giving details of the casualties, he said six persons have been killed and 158 injured.

"These are not military casualties -- these are civilians. The UAE condemns Iran’s egregious aggression in the strongest possible terms," he said.

Alshaali said the UAE has not stopped functioning for a single day. "Schools remain open, hospitals are operating, and supply chains are intact. More than 10 million citizens, residents, and visitors have continued their daily lives despite Iran’s actions," he said.

The envoy said the UAE has absorbed more attacks than every other targeted country combined.

He recalled that the GCC states gave Iran assurances that their bases and airspace would not be used to launch attacks against it.

"Those assurances were offered in good faith. They were not reciprocated. Iran's aggression has been directed not at the states that declared war on it, but at its neighbours -- the very countries that worked hardest to prevent this escalation," he said.

He categorically rejected any attempt to rationalise the attacks or provide an excuse for them. "An unprovoked attack on a neighbour that exhausted every diplomatic avenue to prevent escalation requires condemnation, not justification," he said.

The diplomat said the UAE has responded with "strategic clarity and restraint", defending its territory with professionalism. However, the "restraint remains a choice", he added.

"The UAE retains its full and legitimate right under Article 51 of the UN Charter to deter aggression. We remain resilient in the face of any threat and are fully capable of safeguarding our sovereignty, stability, and security. Any aggression will not go unanswered, and the UAE stands fully prepared to address such threats," he asserted.

When asked if there were any diplomatic solutions to the situation, he said that no one can responsibly put a date on when this will end.

"This war was avoidable. The UAE and GCC states engaged extensively, both publicly and privately, to prevent exactly this outcome. The UAE has consistently held that military solutions do not resolve the underlying issues in this region. The path forward requires an immediate and unconditional cessation of attacks," he added.