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By Albert M. Carter, Co-Owner of Wave Sound Studio and Founder of AudioSwim Agency
The night before the war started, I was in the studio with New York rapper Lil Tjay. It was one of those sessions where everything just felt right. The vibe in the room was good, the music was flowing, and the records we were making felt special. When he left, he was excited about what we had created. In my opinion, it was some of the best music he’s recorded in a while. He was scheduled to leave Dubai the next day and keep moving the way artists do. None of us had any idea that less than twenty-four hours later the region would be talking about war between Iran, the United States and Israel.
I’m Albert M. Carter, co-owner of Wave Sound Studio in Dubai and founder of the AudioSwim agency. My life here revolves around music. Artists travel to this city from all over the world to record, collaborate and take a break from their normal routines. Over the years we’ve worked with artists like Jason Derulo, Rick Ross, Central Cee, Offset, Mohamad Ramadan, Lil Tjay, Lacrim, Yo Yo Honey Singh and many others. Dubai has quietly become a place where global music culture meets. Global artists come here on vacation, they come here to work and they come here to create something new. But on February 28, 2026, that rhythm was suddenly interrupted.
I remember the moment clearly. I was walking into a meeting when I heard a loud boom. At first I didn’t think much of it. In a busy city you hear all kinds of noise—delivery bikes, construction, traffic echoing between buildings. I assumed it was something mechanical. Then my phone started ringing. It was my girlfriend, and her voice sounded different than usual. She said people were saying the UAE was being attacked and that I needed to get home. I stayed in the meeting a few minutes longer with my phone on silent, thinking maybe it was confusion or rumors. When the meeting ended and I finally looked at my phone, there were dozens of messages waiting—friends, family, group chats all asking the same question: “Are you okay?” People were saying the Fairmont Hotel on the Palm had been hit.
When I got home, I opened Instagram like everyone else did. My timeline was suddenly filled with videos of explosions and smoke rising in the distance. But when I stepped outside my building and looked up, the sky above me was calm. The sun was beginning to set and everything looked peaceful. It was one of the strangest feelings I’ve ever experienced, watching something serious unfold online while the street outside your home still feels quiet. Later that same night we had artists booked in the studio. They were from Sweden and had traveled to Dubai specifically to record. When they walked in, you could see they were shaken. Dubai has always had the reputation of being one of the safest places in the world, so suddenly being here while the news is talking about missiles and attacks was hard for them to process. We talked about it for a while, trying to understand what was happening and what it might mean for the city. Eventually someone said, “Let’s get back to work,” and we did.
Now it’s been almost two weeks, and everyone is still trying to figure out what happens next. One thing I’ve realized during this time is that you never get used to the sound of those booms. I grew up in Philadelphia. I’ve been in neighborhoods people call war zones. I’ve been around street beefs and tense situations where things could turn serious at any moment. I’ve been through shootouts, fights and just about anything else that anyone has been through growing up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. But nothing prepares you for the sound of a real explosion connected to missiles or military defense systems. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before. When it happens, your body freezes for a moment, your heart jumps a bit and then you start trying to figure out the next move. Even if the sky above you still looks peaceful, something inside you knows this is different.
What makes this moment even more unusual is that it’s happening during Ramadan. Normally, Ramadan is already a slower time for many businesses because the rhythm of life changes. People fast during the day and activity shifts into the night after families break their fast and go to prayer. The city moves in a calmer, more reflective way. But this Ramadan feels heavier. Traffic seems lighter than usual, and some artists who live here are still working and recording, but international travel has slowed and many people are watching the news closely. Dubai has quietly become home to artists from all over the world. It’s a place where musicians from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East meet and collaborate. Right now that entire community is waiting to see how things unfold.
Part of the tension comes from the alerts we receive on our phones. We’ve gotten official messages warning about possible drones, missiles and ballistic threats. The sound of the alert itself can make your heart jump before you even read the words. One message tells residents to move away from windows and open areas and seek shelter in a secure building because of potential missile threats. Later another message reassures everyone that the situation is safe again and that normal activities can resume while remaining cautious. Those alerts remind you that the situation is real, but they also show how quickly the government communicates with people here.
For businesses like mine, this moment creates uncertainty. Tourism slows down. Artists reconsider travel plans. Studios like Wave Sound depend on musicians flying in from around the world to create, collaborate and focus. When the region appears in international headlines because of conflict, it naturally affects that movement. But the truth is that life here hasn’t stopped. Stores are open, malls are open and restaurants are still filled with families breaking their fast every night. Mosques are full during Ramadan prayers. My recording studio is open. In fact, the building next to one of my business partners was hit by falling debris during one of the incidents, which was a reminder of how real these events can feel even when the city continues to function.
We hear explosions sometimes. We see videos circulating online, and some people know individuals who have been directly affected. None of this is good for business, and none of it is something anyone wants to experience. But there is also a sense of resilience here. The UAE has built its reputation on stability and preparation, and even during a tense moment like this you can see systems working to protect people and keep daily life moving forward. At Wave Sound Studio we have prepared emergency plans in case things escalate. That’s simply being responsible.
The bigger question now is what comes next. Dubai has spent years building itself into a global hub for culture, tourism and creativity. Music is part of that story. Artists from all over the world come here to live, work and create something new. From where I stand, there is still reason to be hopeful. The studio lights are still on, artists are still recording and families are still sitting together every evening breaking their fast. Even during uncertain times, life continues. The real question now isn’t whether this region can survive moments like this. The real question is what we build after it.
For more, go to @studiowavesounddubai
