More than 2.4 million Filipino workers are employed across the Middle East, primarily in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in sectors ranging from healthcare and hospitality to retail and domestic work. Their remittances account for roughly 10 percent of the Philippine economy, making the regional downturn a major concern for households dependent on overseas income.

The conflict, now in its third month, has triggered uncertainty across Gulf economies reliant on expatriate labor. Filipinos interviewed by Arab News described abrupt job losses, shrinking work opportunities and financial stress amid declining business activity and security fears.

A Filipino domestic worker in Dubai, identified only as Cinderella, said she lost stable employment after the Syrian family she worked for left the UAE because of the conflict.

“The money I raise from my part-time work is not enough,” she said, adding that she often reduced herself to one meal a day to save money while struggling to cover rent and basic expenses.

Another Filipino worker, Kim, said she was among roughly 200 employees laid off from a luxury hotel in Doha as the hospitality sector contracted amid weaker business activity.

“The hotel was cutting employees because of the situation,” she said, adding that the company anticipated reduced operations due to the conflict.
Although the hotel later offered to reverse her termination, Kim said she chose to return permanently to the Philippines after spending more than a decade working in the Gulf.

Others said the instability accelerated plans already underway to relocate home. Tere, a Filipino resident in Bahrain, said suspended projects and weakening business conditions influenced her family’s decision to settle permanently in Manila.

Despite the downturn, remittances from the Middle East still rose slightly in the first quarter of 2026 to $1.55 billion from $1.49 billion a year earlier, according to figures cited in the report.

The Philippine government said more than 11,000 Filipinos have sought assistance through repatriation programs since the conflict intensified, including around 4,500 from the UAE, more than 2,200 from Kuwait, and nearly 1,000 each from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Hans Leo Cacdac, secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, said many returning workers still hoped to go back once regional conditions stabilized, with roughly 70 percent expressing interest in returning to Gulf jobs after the conflict.
The Philippine government has introduced emergency support measures including financial assistance, psychosocial support, livelihood programs and healthcare services for displaced workers. Filipinos who lost jobs but remain in the region are eligible for one-time assistance payments of $200 under crisis-response programs operating in 10 Middle Eastern countries.
For some workers, however, returning home remains financially difficult despite the instability. Cinderella said she planned to remain in Dubai for now after recently securing cleaning work, though she hoped eventually to move to Cairo, where she previously worked for a decade.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi said emergency teams responded to a fire in an electrical generator located outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah facility in the Al Dhafra Region following the drone strike.

The IAEA said it was closely monitoring developments and remained in continuous contact with UAE authorities, adding that it stood ready to provide assistance if required.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said radiological safety levels were unaffected and confirmed the plant’s critical systems continued operating normally.

“No injuries were reported, and there was no impact on radiological safety,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement, adding that all operational units at the facility remained functional.

Authorities urged the public to rely on official information sources and avoid circulating unverified reports related to the incident.

The Barakah plant, located west of Abu Dhabi near the Saudi border, is the Arab world’s first operational nuclear power facility and plays a central role in the UAE’s strategy to diversify energy sources and reduce carbon emissions.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and increased concerns over the vulnerability of critical energy and infrastructure facilities to drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region.

Neither UAE authorities nor the IAEA immediately identified those responsible for the drone strike.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said Iran had launched nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones toward the UAE and other countries across the region, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.

The ministry described the attacks as a violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security and stability.

“The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked Iranian attacks and threats targeting the UAE and countries across the region,” the statement said.

The ministry added that all measures taken by the UAE were defensive in nature and aimed at protecting civilians, infrastructure and national security interests.
It said attempts to pressure the UAE through “coercion” or what it called “malicious narratives and allegations” would not alter the country’s policies or undermine its sovereign decision-making.

The statement came after weeks of heightened regional tensions triggered by a military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28.

The conflict prompted retaliatory strikes by Tehran targeting Gulf states, Israel and US assets across the region, raising concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and maritime routes.

A ceasefire announced on April 7 has largely held despite sporadic skirmishes and continued diplomatic strain between regional powers.

The UAE has repeatedly called for de-escalation and regional stability while maintaining close security coordination with Western allies and Gulf partners amid the ongoing tensions.

Modi’s six-day visit starts in the United Arab Emirates before continuing to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, with New Delhi seeking to secure energy supplies and deepen economic ties with Europe following the India-European Union free trade agreement finalized in January.

The trip comes as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf maritime corridors continue to pressure energy-importing economies. India, the world’s third-largest oil buyer, typically sources nearly half of its crude imports through the strategic waterway.

India’s foreign ministry said discussions in the UAE would focus on “strengthening our energy security,” including cooperation on oil and liquefied petroleum gas supplies. The Gulf nation hosts an Indian diaspora estimated at 4.5 million people and remains one of New Delhi’s key energy partners.

Analysts said the visit reflects India’s broader push to diversify strategic partnerships while positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing and technology hub amid shifting geopolitical alignments and supply-chain realignments away from China.

“The recently concluded India-EU free trade agreement has already created momentum,” former Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa told AFP, adding that India was seeking to position itself as a “trusted economic, technological and clean energy partner.”The European leg of the tour will focus heavily on trade and investment cooperation.

Modi is scheduled to meet Dutch leaders later on Friday for talks expected to cover bilateral trade, defense cooperation, semiconductors, water management, agriculture and healthcare.India and the EU concluded a landmark free trade agreement in January, which Modi described as the “mother of all deals.” European policymakers increasingly view India, the world’s most populous country, as a critical market and strategic counterweight in Asia.

In Sweden, Modi will attend a European business leaders forum alongside Ursula von der Leyen before traveling to Oslo for an India-Nordic summit, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in more than four decades.

Former Indian ambassador K.C. Singh said the Gulf leg of the visit also reflected changing regional alignments following escalating Middle East tensions.“A new international environment now prevails,” Singh told AFP, citing fractures within the Gulf Cooperation Council and growing strategic competition involving Iran, Gulf states, the United States and Israel.

Modi also met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi on Thursday ahead of the trip, underlining India’s effort to maintain diplomatic engagement across rival regional blocs.Energy analysts said New Delhi could pursue agreements linked to strategic petroleum reserves and long-term LPG supply arrangements to reduce vulnerability to price shocks and shipping disruptions.

The Nordic portion of the tour is also expected to include discussions on Arctic cooperation and climate-linked shipping routes. India operates a research station on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago and has increasingly monitored the commercial and environmental implications of melting polar sea ice.

Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor wrote in the Indian Express that India and Nordic nations shared interests in preserving international stability “at a time when the turbulence of the Trumpian era has unsettled global norms.”

The final stop of Modi’s tour will be Italy on May 19, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for talks on bilateral cooperation and regional security issues.

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that Araqchi made the remarks after an exchange with the Emirati delegation at the BRICS gathering, where divisions over the Iran war threatened efforts to issue a joint communique.

“I didn’t name the UAE in my statement for the sake of unity,” Araqchi was quoted as saying. “But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country.”

Iranian media did not specify the comments made by the Emirati representative that prompted the response.

The diplomatic dispute followed the UAE’s denial this week of claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had visited the Gulf state during the ongoing Iran conflict.

Araqchi had earlier warned that countries “colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account,” remarks widely interpreted by regional analysts as directed toward Gulf states accused by Tehran of covert coordination with Israel and the United States.

The Iran war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian facilities, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against U.S. bases and other targets across Gulf countries.

Iranian officials have increasingly accused regional governments of facilitating military operations against the Islamic republic, particularly states hosting U.S. military installations.

According to Iranian state media, Araqchi argued during the BRICS meeting that reliance on U.S. military bases and security cooperation with Israel would not guarantee the UAE’s stability.

“We must live side by side in peace, and this requires peaceful relations and complete understanding between the two countries,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the UAE conducted military operations against Iran in early April. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Western and Iranian officials have also said Saudi Arabia carried out multiple unpublicized strikes against Iranian targets during the conflict.

The growing friction between Tehran and Abu Dhabi has complicated diplomatic dynamics within BRICS, the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several recently admitted members, including Iran and the UAE.

Iranian media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi as saying there were “problems and communications” within the summit process because of the UAE’s participation.

The meeting in New Delhi was expected to focus on geopolitical coordination, trade cooperation and reform of global institutions, but the Iran war increasingly overshadowed proceedings as member states struggled to reconcile competing regional interests.

“The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi said while attending the BRICS gathering hosted by India.“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he added, without publicly providing evidence to support the allegation.

The remarks underscored widening fractures within BRICS as the bloc attempts to project unity amid the war involving Iran and intensifying geopolitical instability across the Middle East.

Araghchi also referenced reports circulated by Israeli media concerning an alleged secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirates.Abu Dhabi has denied that any such meeting took place.

According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Araghchi said he had initially avoided explicitly naming the UAE “for the sake of unity” during discussions among BRICS member states.“When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” Araghchi said in response to remarks from the Emirati delegation.

The accusations come as BRICS foreign ministers meet to discuss the economic and geopolitical fallout from the Iran conflict, including disruptions to Gulf shipping lanes, energy markets and rising divisions among member countries.The UAE and Iran both joined BRICS during the bloc’s expansion phase in 2024, despite longstanding regional rivalries and competing strategic interests across the Gulf.

India, which currently chairs BRICS, is seeking to maintain consensus among members ahead of a leaders’ summit later this year, though disagreements over the Middle East conflict have complicated efforts to produce unified positions on global security issues.

“The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi said while attending the BRICS gathering hosted by India.“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he added, without publicly providing evidence to support the allegation.

The remarks underscored widening fractures within BRICS as the bloc attempts to project unity amid the war involving Iran and intensifying geopolitical instability across the Middle East.

Araghchi also referenced reports circulated by Israeli media concerning an alleged secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirates.

Abu Dhabi has denied that any such meeting took place.According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Araghchi said he had initially avoided explicitly naming the UAE “for the sake of unity” during discussions among BRICS member states.

“When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” Araghchi said in response to remarks from the Emirati delegation.The accusations come as BRICS foreign ministers meet to discuss the economic and geopolitical fallout from the Iran conflict, including disruptions to Gulf shipping lanes, energy markets and rising divisions among member countries.

The UAE and Iran both joined BRICS during the bloc’s expansion phase in 2024, despite longstanding regional rivalries and competing strategic interests across the Gulf.

India, which currently chairs BRICS, is seeking to maintain consensus among members ahead of a leaders’ summit later this year, though disagreements over the Middle East conflict have complicated efforts to produce unified positions on global security issues.

The ministry said in a statement that defense systems were “actively engaging” aerial threats and urged residents not to approach or photograph debris from intercepted projectiles.The attack came hours after the U.S. military said American naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz had intercepted Iranian attacks targeting three U.S. Navy vessels late Thursday and carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian military facilities linked to operations against American forces.

United States Central Command said in a social media statement that U.S. forces responded to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” with what it described as self-defense strikes. The military said no American ships were hit and added that Washington did not seek further escalation but remained prepared to defend U.S. personnel and assets in the region.

Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that the ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington was still in effect despite renewed hostilities.

The latest violence threatens a truce that has largely held since April 8 after nearly six weeks of conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets beginning Feb. 28.The UAE was among the Gulf states most affected during the conflict, facing repeated missile and drone attacks that authorities attributed to Iran.

Emirati officials said this week that strikes reported on Monday and Tuesday marked the first attacks on UAE territory since the ceasefire took effect.

According to UAE authorities, the country has been targeted by more than 2,000 drones, hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of cruise missiles since the war began. Officials said most were intercepted, but the attacks killed at least 13 people, injured more than 200 and damaged energy infrastructure and prominent buildings.

Other Gulf Arab countries also reported attacks during the conflict despite maintaining they were not directly participating in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.On Thursday, the UAE announced the formation of a national committee to document what it described as Iranian attacks and the resulting human, economic and material losses, laying groundwork for potential legal action against Tehran.

State news agency WAM said the committee, chaired by the UAE attorney general, would gather evidence according to internationally recognized legal and technical standards to support future claims for accountability, reparations and justice.The move followed renewed diplomatic tensions after the UAE condemned statements by Iranian officials accusing Abu Dhabi’s security cooperation with Washington of threatening Iran’s national interests.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country’s defense partnerships were a sovereign matter.

Efforts to secure a broader settlement remain stalled after talks hosted by Pakistan last month between U.S. and Iranian representatives ended without a comprehensive agreement to halt the conflict permanently.

Speaking at U.N. headquarters alongside diplomats from Gulf states and the United States, Alwasil urged support for a draft Security Council resolution demanding Iran halt attacks and remove obstacles affecting maritime traffic through the strait.“The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital artery of global trade and any disruption to its security is a matter of serious international concern,” Alwasil said.

He said the proposed resolution sought immediate international measures to “de-escalate tensions, ensure the free and safe flow of trade and humanitarian assistance, restore stability to global markets, and protect affected populations.”Alwasil warned that disruptions to shipping routes were affecting energy markets and delaying deliveries of food, medical supplies and humanitarian goods, particularly for import-dependent countries.

The Saudi envoy appeared alongside representatives from Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, as well as Mike Waltz, who said freedom of navigation was central to global economic stability.

“We believe in some basic fundamental principles, namely the freedom of navigation for the entire world’s economies,” Waltz told reporters. “That’s what’s at stake here, nothing less than a cornerstone of worldwide stability and commerce.”Diplomatic sources said Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council and a close Iranian ally, warned it was prepared to veto the resolution.

Moscow and Beijing previously abstained on a March resolution condemning Iranian attacks on Gulf states and criticizing restrictions on shipping through Hormuz.

According to diplomats, the latest U.S.-Bahrain draft resolution calls on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, disclose the locations of naval mines, refrain from imposing transit tolls and allow the establishment of humanitarian shipping corridors for fertilizer and other essential cargo.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments and around one-third of global fertilizer trade, making it one of the world’s most strategically significant maritime chokepoints.

Commercial shipping traffic through the waterway has been heavily disrupted since conflict erupted on Feb. 28 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Regional instability has since fueled concerns over energy supplies, commodity prices and global food security.

In early April, Russia and China vetoed another Security Council proposal that would have encouraged coordinated international efforts to secure maritime navigation through the strait.

The tanker was attacked off the UAE’s Al Jeer Port on May 4, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the incident. The vessel’s deck caught fire during the attack and bore markings reading “CHINA OWNER & CREW,” Caixin said.

No casualties or details regarding the extent of the damage were immediately disclosed.A person familiar with the shipowner told Caixin the incident represented the first known attack involving a Chinese oil tanker in the region, describing the event as “psychologically very hard to accept.”The strike comes amid mounting security risks around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil and fuel shipments passes daily.

Shipping activity across the Gulf region has faced heightened disruption since the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel earlier this year. Regional tensions have raised concerns among energy traders, insurers and shipping operators over vessel safety and supply-chain stability.

The reported attack follows a series of incidents affecting commercial shipping near Hormuz, including claims and denials involving vessels linked to South Korea and other Asian economies heavily dependent on Gulf energy supplies.China, the world’s largest crude oil importer, relies heavily on Middle Eastern energy exports transported through the Strait of Hormuz.

Beijing has repeatedly called for stability in the Gulf and urged all parties to avoid actions that could threaten international trade routes.Neither Chinese authorities nor UAE officials immediately issued public statements regarding the reported attack.