Hundreds of Iraqi residents and their Emirati neighbours gathered at the conference centre of Expo City Dubai this week for the second edition of the "UAE Loves Iraq" community celebration, an event designed to honour the deep cultural and historical ties between the two nations.
The gathering featured traditional Iraqi music, regional cuisine, and displays inspired by some of Iraq's most recognisable landmarks, giving visitors a taste of Iraqi heritage within the heart of Dubai.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the UAE's Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, attended the event and addressed the crowd, noting that "the first wheel and the first letters were invented in Iraq... the place that witnessed the birth of civilisation."
For many attendees, the celebration was deeply personal. Mohammed Al Tawaiji, who has called the UAE home for two decades, said simply: "My soul is Iraqi and my heart is Emirati." Afraa Al Rubaie, a 25-year-old Iraqi resident, thanked the UAE "for giving us the opportunity to feel like we are in Iraq." Other participants included Afnan Al Rawi, a doctor who has lived in the UAE for 17 years, and Ali Mohammed, a 22-year-old university student born in the Emirates.
Also present was Emirati writer Ibrahim Ali Binhatem, whose family has Iraqi roots, underscoring how intertwined the two communities have become over generations.
Organisers said the event reflects the broader social and historical bonds between Iraq and the UAE, and that such community gatherings play an important role in strengthening cultural coexistence across the Emirates. The celebration is expected to become an annual fixture on Dubai's community events calendar.