VIDEO The gesture made by the president of the United Arab Emirates in full conflict in the Middle East

The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, made an unexpected visit to a shopping center in Dubai on Monday evening, in the context of the military escalation generated by Iran's retaliation after the attacks launched by the US and Israel on Tehran since Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Images and videos shared on social media showed the Emirati leader walking through the shopping arcades of the Dubai Mall, one of the region's largest shopping and entertainment centers, on Monday night, accompanied by several officials.

In videos shared online, the Emirati leader was seen inviting a little girl closer to him, bending down to her level and kissing her hand before she joined his family.

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In another clip, a Ghanaian man approached the leaders and shook hands with the sheikhs. Sheikh Mohammed asked him if he was happy, and the man replied, “Yes, yes.” The president wished him a pleasant stay and the man said, “Very well, safe country.”

The President of the Emirates and officials were also filmed while they were at a table in the mall in Dubai and tourists were taking pictures of them.

The crisis in the Middle East

The sheikh's public appearance sparked many reactions online, where his supporters hailed the gesture as a sign of calm and stability at a time when the crisis in the Middle East appears to be deepening.

The US-Israeli military campaign has gained momentum as Iran strikes at Washington's Gulf allies.

Monday night's visit came after the United Arab Emirates confirmed it had intercepted dozens of drones and airstrikes launched by Iran. Despite the threats, the mall remained crowded with residents and tourists, according to News18.

The tacit promise of the authorities in recent decades was that Dubai was a safe haven and that, regardless of what was happening in the rest of the Middle East, this city was different, while the conflicts destabilizing the region somehow stopped at its borders, notes Reuters.

Things took a different turn on Saturday after Iran's retaliatory strikes in the Persian Gulf hit key sectors of Dubai.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, moved quickly to limit the damage to confidence as well as the physical fallout.

The UAE National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said the situation remains under control. For investors and residents who saw rockets hit the city's iconic buildings as they stocked up, insurance was taken into account, but it's unclear how much peace of mind it brought.

Tens of thousands of people have been stranded in the UAE, including Romanians, as the region's airspace is unsafe and largely closed.