46% 'not worried' by terror threat

NO WORRIES: The majority of UAE people are unconcerned about the increased terrorism threat. (Getty Images)

The threat of terrorism in the UAE is not forcing people to change the way they live their lives, according to the results of a Arabian Business poll.

The UK upgraded its guidance to visitors to the region to "high" in June, having previously stated there was a "general" risk.

A spokesman for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE but our online poll has revealed that 46 percent of respondents were unconcerned and viewed the UAE as a "very safe" place to live.

A further 34 percent said they had not stopped visiting public places but they were more aware of the possibility of a terrorist attack following the UK's warning to its citizens.

Last month, the FCO said terrorists could target places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time," a spokesman said. The FCO added people should "maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places".

But only 12 percent of people who voted in our poll said they were worried about the threat and were avoiding places frequented by Westerners while a further seven percent said they were worried when the alert was first published but that they had now returned to their normal activities.

The FCO said the "vast majority" of visits to the UAE were "trouble-free", adding that the main type of incidents involving British nationals were arrests or detentions related to alcohol or drugs.

It added that there was a "general" threat of terrorism in the other five Gulf states, except Saudi Arabia which also has a "high" terrorism threat level.

Excluding Saudi Arabia, terrorist attacks in the Gulf are rare.

According to the FCO, the only incident of note was a suicide-bomb attack on March 19, 2005 outside the Doha Players’ Theatre in Qatar. One British national was killed and at least 12 other people were injured.

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