The sixth TRENDS conference in Abu Dhabi focused on the role of narratives in Middle Eastern security. In today's world, wars occur not only on battlefields but also in minds and on screens. These narratives influence how we perceive reality and the struggle for truth may be more dangerous than the war itself.
The Impact of Narrative After War
After wars end, the battle over narratives begins: who won, who is to blame, and who can maintain peace. These questions are raised more in digital spaces and chat groups than on battlefields. For a Middle East recently emerging from a war that began on February 28, this struggle may determine whether any new security order will be established.
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The Necessity of Information Resilience
The TRENDS conference, attended by politicians, military leaders, and researchers from the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Gulf, emphasized that information resilience should be regarded as a security infrastructure and planned and funded like air defense. In today's conditions, government entities, media, and NGOs are simultaneously trying to define what is happening. Misinformation and coordinated propaganda are rapidly spreading, and now AI-generated content has also added to this trend.
This year, the war demonstrated how serious these issues are. Following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, a video of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai burning was viewed millions of times. False images of damaged U.S. facilities in the Gulf were also quickly disseminated.
The UAE Minister of State, Noura Al Kaabi, described the attacks as a threat from the sky and behind screens, and her government viewed misinformation and fake news as a security threat. She emphasized that these threats must be taken seriously.
Future Challenges
With the end of war, threats take on new forms. Public trust in peace and reconstruction depends on it. If people come to believe that peace is a betrayal or that neighbors cannot be trusted, no deterrent framework can survive domestic policies. In this regard, the lessons learned from recent years are that the speed and credibility of information are more important than silence.
Ultimately, to protect communities from these impacts, there is a need for rapid and credible official channels that people can trust. Furthermore, Emirati youth and Gulf citizens must have the ability to verify what they see and tell the region's story themselves.
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