Once trust collapses, societies become vulnerable to entrenched polarization, collective moral exhaustion

By Habib Toumi | Bahrain

MANAMA: The war in the Gulf and the Middle East has not fully settled. Missiles and drones may have temporarily disappeared from the skies, and military operations may have entered phases of hesitation or recalibration, but another confrontation has already assumed great prominence and ominous danger: the battle of narratives.

Today, every side involved in the war seeks to dominate the story. Each country endeavors to convince its own people, the wider region and the international community that it has achieved a decisive triumph, while its adversary has faltered, capitulated or failed to withstand the might of its military and strategic capabilities.

In modern conflicts, victory is no longer measured solely by shattered lives, territorial gains, destroyed targets or military casualties. It is increasingly measured by perception. Whoever controls the narrative often claims the psychological and political victory, regardless of the realities on the ground.

What makes this phase particularly alarming is the unprecedented sophistication of information warfare. The mechanisms used to diffuse information, misinformation and mal-information have become extraordinarily advanced and deeply invasive. Social media platforms, manipulated videos, anonymous digital accounts, selective leaks and algorithm-driven amplification now shape public consciousness at astonishing speed and produce narratives built on chimeras.

For ordinary people or those far away from the battle grounds, discerning the truth has become painfully difficult.

When the war broke out, the world watched missiles and drones crossing borders and skies. Now, societies are witnessing the relentless bombardment of competing narratives, many of them fallacious, emotionally manipulative and openly dismissive of logic or factual consistency.

The first victims of wars have always been innocent people: civilians, families, children, the elderly, locals and foreigners alike. But in this new phase of the war, another category of victims is emerging: populations overwhelmed by deception, misrepresentation and fabricated realities.

Artificial Intelligence, despite its enormous promise for humanity, has also become a dangerous instrument when flagrantly misused. Deepfakes, fabricated audio recordings, stage-managed videos, manipulated images and AI-generated propaganda now circulate with alarming credibility. Lies no longer need to be convincing; they only need to spread faster than the truth.

This creates a deeply troubling question: Is it humanity’s destiny to continue suffering even after missiles and drones fall silent?

If wars once destroyed cities and infrastructure, today’s narrative wars threaten something even more fragile: trust itself. Trust in facts. Trust in institutions. Trust in the media. Trust in human judgment.

And once trust collapses, societies become dangerously susceptible to entrenched polarization, deepening cynicism and a pervasive sense of collective moral exhaustion.

People retreat into ideologically sealed, like-minded silos, while opposing groups no longer merely disagree over events, facts or policies; they begin to inhabit entirely separate realities.

In such an environment, meaningful dialogue steadily disintegrates, and the prospect of collective problem-solving grows ever more distant.

The saying prevalent in several countries, “Tell me about the one I love, even if it is a lie,” captures a profound human impulse: the longing for emotional reassurance and psychological comfort, especially when confronting painful truths.

In matters of the heart, the solace of hearing what one wishes to believe, even if embellished or untrue, becomes more bearable than the cold weight of objective reality. It quiets doubt, eases insecurity and offers temporary refuge from discomfort.

This human vulnerability is increasingly exploited by those who manipulate the media and seek to assert their narratives.

The challenge confronting humanity is no longer confined to ending wars on the battlefield. It is also about restoring dignity amid the deafening noise of deception, resisting the manipulation of perception and reclaiming truth in an era increasingly shaped by manufactured realities and weaponized narratives.

The world may eventually succeed in rebuilding shattered cities and smashed infrastructure. Rebuilding collective trust, however, is far more difficult.

That may well be the most dangerous battlefield of all.

Too many people have been killed. Too many lives have been irreparably shattered. Too many families have lost their means of livelihood. Too many homes have been destroyed…

And behind every statistic stands a human being, a life shaken by grief, scarred by loss and overshadowed by uncertainty.

Read: Iran at War: Ancient Roots, Modern Conflicts

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Habib Toumi is a senior journalist. Based in Manama, Bahrain, he is also the Editor-in-Chief of The AsiaN English Edition 

Courtesy: The AsiaN, Seoul, South Korea

The post The Battle beyond the Battlefield first appeared on Sindh Courier.

For countries such as Pakistan, the moment illustrates how geography can suddenly regain strategic importance, provided that infrastructure and stability are present to translate these opportunities into lasting gains.

By Mohammad Ehsan Leghari

The military escalation that erupted on February 28, 2026, in West Asia may ultimately be remembered not merely as a regional conflict, but as a “structural rupture” in the architecture of global commerce. What began as a coordinated United States–Israel aerial campaign against Iran has rapidly evolved into a wider geopolitical shock that has shaken the economic foundations of the Persian Gulf and disrupted the connective infrastructure linking Europe, Asia, and Africa. Within days, the war exposed the fragility of a global economic system that had come to rely heavily on the Gulf as a central transit corridor for energy, aviation, and finance (Allianz, 2026).

For decades, the Gulf States had carefully cultivated an image of strategic neutrality and economic stability. Cities such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi transformed themselves into global interconnection hubs; nodes where airlines, capital, tourism, and logistics converged. This model allowed the region to prosper even amid political turbulence in the wider Middle East. Yet the current conflict has revealed the inherent vulnerability of such a system: when the hub itself becomes part of the battlefield, the entire network collapses.

The Gulf Economy: A Mirage of Diversification

The economic transformation of the Gulf over the last two decades was built upon an implicit assumption that geopolitics would remain manageable. Dubai’s economic strategy, Qatar’s aviation expansion, and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 all depended on the belief that the region could function as a secure bridge between East and West.

However, a profound strategic irony has surfaced: the presence of American military bases, once viewed as a guarantee of stability, has emerged as a primary target for Iranian retaliatory strikes. This has effectively turned host nations into involuntary parties to the conflict (The Guardian, 2026). Iran’s strikes against infrastructure in the Gulf have demonstrated that even the most sophisticated urban economies are not immune to military escalation.

Tourism, one of the most sensitive sectors to perceptions of risk, has been the first casualty. Tourism Economics (2026) estimates that, depending on the duration of the conflict, visitor spending across the Middle East could decline by between $34 billion and $56 billion in 2026, while international arrivals may fall by up to 27 percent. For Dubai, where trade and tourism account for roughly a quarter of the GDP, the erosion of safety perceptions threatens the very foundations of its post-oil diversification strategy.

Aviation Shock: The Collapse of the Air Bridge

The most immediate disruption has occurred in global aviation. The Middle East has long functioned as the central air bridge connecting Europe and Asia. Within days of the escalation, airspace closures across Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, and Bahrain created the most extensive disruption in modern aviation history.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium (2026) reported that more than 23,000 flights were cancelled during the first week of the crisis, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers and forcing airlines into emergency rerouting. Flights linking Europe with South and East Asia now face two imperfect alternatives: a northern route through Central Asia or a southern detour skirting the Arabian Peninsula via the Indian Ocean. Both options add significant flight time and fuel consumption, pushing up ticket prices at a time when fuel costs are already spiking (S&P Global, 2026).

Karachi’s Unexpected Strategic Moment

Amid the disruption, Karachi has emerged as an unexpected geographic beneficiary. As Gulf airspace became increasingly restricted, Jinnah International Airport began receiving a surge of diverted international flights, echoing its role during the 1990 Gulf War (The Express Tribune, 2026).

Karachi possesses technical advantages, including long runways capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft, and its position just outside the immediate conflict zone makes it a suitable technical refueling stop. However, this opportunity is constrained by structural limitations: the Pakistan Airports Authority (2026) has already issued notices regarding limited parking capacity (NOTAM) as the airport struggles to manage the sudden influx of diverted traffic.

The Hormuz Shock: Energy and Maritime Trade

If aviation disruption is the most visible impact, the maritime consequences are more consequential. The Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil and LNG transits, has sent shockwaves through energy markets (BlackRock, 2026). Shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the strait, with maritime insurance costs surging dramatically.

Many vessels have begun diverting along the Cape of Good Hope, adding nearly 15 days to normal transit times (SpecialEurasia, 2026). Such disruptions inevitably translate into higher prices; oil has already spiked toward $100 per barrel in tail-risk scenarios (Allianz, 2026). For energy-dependent economies like China and India, any sustained disruption to these flows threatens industrial output and domestic price stability.

A System Under Stress

The broader lesson of the 2026 crisis lies in the fragility of hyper-connected globalization. Over the past two decades, the world economy has become increasingly dependent on a handful of logistical chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and a small number of mega-hub airports.

The crisis underscores a fundamental reality of the modern global economy: geographic concentration creates systemic risk. Whether the Gulf can restore its position as the world’s premier interconnection hub will depend on the duration of the conflict. For countries such as Pakistan, the moment illustrates how geography can suddenly regain strategic importance, provided that infrastructure and stability are present to translate these opportunities into lasting gains.

References

Allianz (2026) Conflict in the Middle East: Implications for markets and macro. Available at: https://www.allianz.com/content/dam/onemarketing/azcom/Allianz_com/economic-research/publications/specials/en/2026/march/2026_03_03_IranScenarios.pdf (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

BlackRock Investment Institute (2026) Middle East conflict: energy risks in focus. Available at: https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/insights/blackrock-investment-institute/publications/middle-east-conflict-2026 (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

Cirium (2026) ‘Over 23,000 flights cancelled in GCC’, Gulf News, 6 March. Available at: https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/over-23000-flights-cancelled-in-gcc-what-uae-airlines-travellers-can-expect-next-1.500464786 (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

S&P Global Ratings (2026) Middle East War Could Affect Global Airline Ratings If Fuel Prices Remain Higher For Longer. Available at: https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/regulatory/article/middle-east-war-could-affect-global-airline-ratings-if-fuel-prices-remain-higher-for-longer-s101673321 (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

SpecialEurasia (2026) Geoeconomics Impact of the US-Israel War Against Iran. Available at: https://www.specialeurasia.com/2026/03/05/geoeconomics-us-israel-iran-war/ (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

The Express Tribune (2026) ‘Karachi airport becomes hub for diverted Gulf flights amid escalating Mideast conflict’, 1 March. Available at: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2595085/karachi-airport-becomes-hub-for-diverted-gulf-flights-amid-escalating-mideast-conflict (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

The Guardian (2026) ‘Globalisation is under threat from Iran war’, 5 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/globalisation-under-threat-britain-economy-iran-conflict (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

Tourism Economics (2026) ‘Middle East Conflict Could Lead to $34 Billion-$56 Billion Drop in Visitor Spend in 2026’, Roic News, 3 March. Available at: https://www.roic.ai/news/middle-east-conflict-could-lead-to-34-billion-56-billion-drop-in-visitor-spend-in-2026-tourism-economics-forecasts-03-03-2026 (Accessed: 6 March 2026).

Read: Governance Crisis: Air Quality Worsens

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Mohammad Ehsan Leghari is a water expert, former Member (Sindh), Indus River System Authority (IRSA), and former Managing Director, SIDA.

The post The War, Trade, and Transit first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Abu Dhabi

An all-women fishing team in the Gulf might sound a buzzword, but for a group of young Emirati women, it is a strong sense of accomplishment, an inspiration for fulfilment and a motivation for others to take on challenges regardless of how formidable they may seem.

The members are sharing, at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX 2023), their story about how they unleashed their passion, skills, and camaraderie to build the team and how they achieved stellar performances.

The annual event brings together hundreds of local and international expert companies and seasoned exhibitors to showcase the latest technologies and innovations in hunting equipment and facilities and to highlight the traditional way of life in the UAE.

Their eyes are now set on the first Gulf competition for women in October and on an international tournament in Al Fujairah in November

ADIHEX highlights outdoor activities, camping, safaris, hunting of all kinds, and off-road adventures as an important way to reconnect with nature, and an opportunity to explore, enjoy and learn new skills.

The human dimension and the remarkable skills and outstanding performances of Emirati women are also among the top reasons thousands of multi-cultural visitors go to the exhibition on September 2-8.

At the Outdoor Adventures section, and in their stand decorated with pictures of their achievements and a record of their growth, the UAE all-women fishing team is proud the members are a valuable source of inspiration for countless Emirati girls, particularly at a time when women’s rights are being actively promoted across the Gulf nation.

Team Leader Lamia Al Saikal, who holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, says that her love for the sea world began at a very early age with her family and grew inexorably with her friends.

She recalls how she used to go to the sea with her father and relatives and how she gradually took up fishing in the open waters and learned how to catch fish of various sizes.

Driven by her growing passion, a strong sense of purpose and a deep feeling to contribute to the achievements of Emirati women, Lamia and other young women formed Al Namos, the first Emirati all-women’s fishing team.

History was made. The team stood for serious fishing as a hobby and stern competition as a passion.

“While we are fishing, we decide on the boat on our roles during the outing, so that we would return home with an impressive catch. Very significantly, with every outing, we learned new skills and gained experience in fishing,” Lamia says.

The competitions were too alluring to be resisted, and the Namos team entered several fishing contests against male teams, going head-to-head with fishermen and putting out impressive performances that earned them cups and admiration.

“These are some of the trophies that we won and that have asserted our capabilities and strengthened our determination while igniting further passion on other young women,” Lamia says as she proudly points to the cups showcased at their ADIHEX stand.

“We are not falling into self-complacency and we remain fully committed to achieving higher levels of performance.”

At ADIHEX 2023, team members Lamia Al Saikal, Asma Al Raisi, Fatima Al Hammadi, Maryam Al Ameri, and Aisha Al Ketbi, are sharing their positive energy and their unique experiences at a dedicated symposium. They hope that their adventure into unchartered waters would inspire more women to participate in marine sports.

Their eyes are now set on the first Gulf competition for women in October and on an international tournament in Al Fujairah in November.

ADIHEX 2023, held under the theme “sustainability and heritage in a renewed spirit” features 11 sectors.

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Courtesy: The AsiaN, Seoul South Korea (Published on September 3, 2023)

The post Fishing: UAE Women Make History first appeared on Sindh Courier.