The UAE is home to many Lebanese expats. And over the past few weeks, the nation has struggled with fuel shortage that has effectively resulted in a country-wide power outage and medical supply shortage. Dubai residents have since been donating medical supplies to Lebanon.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Minister of Defence, and the ruler of Dubai is openly supporting Lebanon.

The lebanese.community.in.uae Instagram page shared the page written by Sheikh Mohammed and the response of Lebanese poet, Maya Nassar.

The Ruler of Dubai wrote a very touching page about Lebanon in his book titled My Story

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A post shared by الجالية اللبنانية في الإمارات (@lebanese.community.in.uae)

Sheikh Mohammed hoped that Dubai would be Beirut from the 1960’s when he first visited Lebanon

In his latest book, My Story: 50 memories from fifty years of service, page 39 is titled Beirut. It’s written in Arabic and talks about his personal experience visiting the city.

It says (translated):

My first memories in Beirut came when I was young. I come from the desert of Dubai, from its mud houses, from its dirty streets, its markets built of palm fronds. I travelled with my brothers to Beirut. It was necessary to go through it to get to London. She amazed me. I feel in love with her when I was young and I grieved for her greatly. I was inspired by its clean streets, beautiful lanes, and modern markets in the early 1960’s. A dream echoed in my mind that Dubai would be Beirut one day. Unfortunately Lebanon has been fragmented and divided along sectarian lines, so Beirut is no longer Beirut, and Lebanon is not Lebanon…

Sheikh Mohammed’s piece about Beirut received a response by poet Maya Nassar

Poet Maya Nassar responded to the piece and said (translated):

Your sadness is Noble, over Beirut. The city is touched because you still remember it, when our own rulers forgot who and how it was. Because you loved her, her face is painted with the feather of the Creator, before it was distorted by the oppression of enemies from outside and within. My city is affected but it is alive in your dreams; it was inspiring your visions, before it broke its ribs, their lords, with the weight of their greed. The heart of Beirut, Your Highness, the poet, is half of it in Dubai, and it’s the half that is still dreaming and it beats with hope and life. When Lebanon entrusted you with its best sons, you embraced the trust while it was far from its mother’s bosom.

You have known my love as I did not know, and as I dream of her. I wish you would serve as an inspiration to our rulers. May your frief and ours not last for too long, for Beirut. The Phoenix always emerges and rises from its ashes. You dreamed and your dream came true and Dubai emerged from its sands… From Beirut to Dubai, all the love…

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— Lovin Dubai | لوڤن دبي (@lovindubai) August 25, 2021