As Gulf states continue to face a barrage of drone and missile strikes, threatening the safety of civilians and causing widespread disruption, SAT-7 is connecting people across affected countries through live broadcasts and social media initiatives.
Human Rights Watch recently said that civilians in Gulf countries are at “grave risk” from the ongoing strikes, many of which have hit residential buildings, hotels, civilian airports, and embassies.1
Iranian forces have been targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States, which started on February 28.
Since the start of the conflict, SAT-7 has been giving a voice to believers in affected countries and connecting people across the region through live prayer broadcasts, current affairs programs, and digital media initiatives.
“The current crisis is impacting many countries across the region where SAT-7 ARABIC broadcasts,” said Rami Al-Halaseh, Executive Director of SAT-7’s Arabic Channels. “Since day one of this war, we made intentional efforts to connect with church leaders and Christians who are residents in Gulf countries and give them the opportunity to share the real situation on the ground, how their faith in Jesus Christ has been a source of trust and comfort, and how their daily life is being impacted by the war. We are using our different platforms to raise their voices and mobilize believers from all around the Middle East and North Africa to pray for them and the region at this time of great instability and uncertainty.”
Prayers for Protection
“My husband is in the UAE,” a woman shared with SAT-7 ARABIC’s Viewer Support Team. “I am afraid for him. Lord Jesus, bring Your peace upon them and protect them.”
“Protect my children and relatives in Kuwait,” prayed another viewer.
“I am from Syria and I am visiting my daughter in the UAE,” said a third. “Please pray for me because I am very tired from everything in my life. Dear brothers and sisters, please pray that I may have peace.”
Messages like these reveal how widely the impact of the conflict is being felt across the region. And they show how important it is for many viewers to have a place where they can feel supported by others in prayer.
Special Broadcasts
Recognizing this need, SAT-7 launched a number of vital initiatives, including prayer broadcasts, special programs, and digital campaigns designed to help believers across the region turn to God together.
SAT-7 ARABIC responded immediately, with a series of live nightly broadcasts inspired by Psalm 27, titled My Heart Will Not Fear. These episodes are giving space for church leaders and believers across the Middle East to share scripture, reflections, and prayer, offering viewers a place to pause, process events, and remember that faith remains a source of strength even in uncertain times.
“We pray at church and people come despite it all,” said Pastor John Zahi from Kuwait during one episode. “We pray for peace and for our leaders to make peaceful decisions. We pray the church knows its role during this time to encourage the people and support them. God’s purpose is life, but war brings death. We need to spread the message of life.”
Messages of Encouragement
SAT-7 programs are also helping Christian leaders from across the Gulf share encouragement with believers throughout the region.
“Nothing can help us survive the fear of the unknown and this difficult situation except our faith in the Lord Jesus and returning to the Bible,” Father Charbel Rizk, Spiritual Director of the Arabic Community in Bahrain, told You Are Not Alone. “We as humans fear, but with the grace of God, we overcome fear.”
He described how they were celebrating mass when the church walls started rumbling. Missile strikes damaged several high-rise buildings nearby, prompting people to flee the area.
During an episode of Good Morning From Beirut, Pastor Emmanuel Gharib, Chairman of the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait and one of the very few Kuwaitis from a Christian background, shared a prayer for the entire Gulf region: “Heavenly Father, we come to You in these difficult days as our region faces war and the painful consequences it brings to our nations and our people.”
“We ask that You grant wisdom and guidance to the leaders of the countries involved, so that this destructive war may come to an end and a path toward peace may be found for this region and for the whole world.”
In over 2,500 comments from across the region, viewers replied to a Facebook reel of his prayer with a heartfelt “Amen.” “Have mercy on us, O Lord,” one added, while others said, “Please answer this prayer.”
Social Media Initiatives
Alongside the television broadcasts, SAT-7 ARABIC’s digital team has been running a coordinated social media prayer initiative, inviting believers across the Middle East to join in prayer for their countries.
Under the tagline “A Cry of Prayer to Stop the Advance of War,” the campaign has seen a remarkable response. One post alone generated more than 1,000 comments, 845 shares, and thousands of reactions, as viewers added their own prayers for peace, protection, and wisdom for leaders.
Another post asking people to pray for the UAE – which has been the most targeted Gulf state – received more than 2,000 reactions and hundreds of comments, as people joined in with their prayers.
And on SAT-7 Parents, a reel inviting viewers to pray using the words of Psalm 91 reached almost 900,000 views, with tens of thousands responding in faith.
Live Dubai Broadcast
As believers across the Gulf choose to respond to fear with prayer, SAT‑7 is also seeing encouraging signs of deeper connection with regional churches.
In mid-February, SAT-7 ARABIC coordinated with the Arab Evangelical Church to broadcast the Truth and Godliness Conference live from Dubai.
The conference explored how Christians can live faithfully in challenging circumstances, and featured teaching from Dr. Maher Samuel and worship led by Bahgat Adly. The live feed, which was broadcast across SAT-7 ARABIC’s network, marked a significant step in SAT-7’s growing connection with churches across the Gulf; strengthening relationships that allow believers in the region to share their voices and experiences with the wider Middle Eastern Church.
Over the past year, SAT-7 has been building relationships with church leaders and Christian communities in different Gulf states. Visits to Dubai last year and to the Saudi Media Forum last month have opened up new connections that Rami Al-Halaseh, Executive Director of SAT-7’s Arabic Channels, hopes to see bearing more fruit.
“The Gulf region is very thirsty for the Living Water, especially in areas where traces of the Christian history and heritage have been buried under many layers of natural and cultural deserts,” he said. “We are praying by faith for new times and fresh streams of the River of Life to burst out in the Gulf, and for the potential opportunity of highlighting the Christian influence in the Arab Peninsula in our programs.”
Christians comprise around eight percent of the population of the Gulf states, totaling around 3.7 million. The highest numbers of believers are in Saudia Arabia (around 1.2 million), though there are no official church buildings in the country, and the UAE (around 1.1 million). Christians in the Gulf are mostly expatriate workers and face restrictions on their activities. It is difficult for citizens of most Gulf states to follow Christ.
Please pray that SAT-7 may continue to strengthen its relationship with believers in Gulf countries. Give thanks for how we are building connections with churches in the region and for the additional programs and initiatives we are running for Christians in the region.
Source
1 Human Rights Watch
