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On Sunday, March 1, a simple Instagram template carrying the message, “We chose this country. We stand with it”, began circulating widely across social media.
Within hours, thousands of residents across the UAE, both citizens and expatriates, reshared the message on their Instagram stories. Businesses, influencers, and community members joined the trend, turning a single post into a wave of online solidarity.
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Behind the viral message is Wissam Breidy, a Lebanon-born media personality and CEO of a development company based in Dubai.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Wissam said the template was originally part of a longer post he shared on his personal account, reflecting on the resilience of residents living in the UAE.
“I wanted to show the voice of the people who live here,” he said. “Most of us chose this country. We believe in it, and we stand with it.”
From Lebanon to Dubai
Wissam said he has been connected to the UAE for nearly two decades, initially travelling frequently between Lebanon and Dubai for work.
“I had been going back and forth between Lebanon and Dubai between 2006 and 2019,” he said. “Then in early 2020, just before Covid, I moved here with my family and made Dubai our base.”
For him, the recent developments in the region highlighted something deeper about the country and its residents.
“What happened in the last few days showed that the UAE is not just a place where people come to invest or live,” he said. “It is a country with strong systems, strong leadership, and clear crisis management.”
He pointed to previous global challenges, including the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, as moments when the UAE demonstrated its ability to manage uncertainty.
“In every crisis, the UAE showed planning, preparation, and leadership,” he said. Which is why he chose to stay each time and it resonated in his message, which was shared by many, ‘the trust he had in the UAE.’
‘We didn’t come from castles’
Wissam said one of the ideas behind the message was to challenge a common perception about expatriates living in Dubai.
“Some people outside think those living here came from comfortable lives,” he said. “But most of us did not come from castles. We came from countries that faced challenges, instability, even war.”
Originally from Lebanon, Wissam said his own life experience shaped the message.
“I lived 30 years of my life during war,” he said. “When you have lived through that, you understand how to stay calm and support your community during difficult times.”
He believes many expatriates in the UAE share similar backgrounds.
“We didn’t come here just to take from this country,” he said. “We came because we believe in it, because we want to build something and be part of it.”
A message that resonated
Although the template was simple, Wissam said he believed it would resonate with people living in the UAE.
“I expected it would spread because it reflects the voice of many expats here,” he said. “People wanted to show that they support the country and trust its leadership.”
He added that during moments of tension, it is important for residents to show unity.
You cannot live in a country and expect only good times without standing by it during difficult moments
Wissam Breidy
For Wissam, the reaction to the template showed how deeply many residents feel connected to the UAE.
“People here don’t see themselves as temporary anymore,” he said. “They feel part of the community.”
‘A city built by resilient people’
In his original Instagram post, Wissam described Dubai as a city shaped by resilience.
“Most of us who came to Dubai did not come from comfort,” he wrote. “We came from wars, from instability, from countries that taught us what uncertainty really means.”
He added that the UAE offered residents more than safety.
“This city didn’t just give us safety,” he wrote. “It gave us dignity, opportunity, and leadership that leads with clarity when others hesitate.”
For Wissam, the viral message was ultimately about unity.
“When moments get tense, we don’t panic,” he wrote. “We align, we support each other, and we trust the leadership.
Source: Khaleej Times