How Dubai influencers are silenced from criticising ‘safest country in the world’

For almost a week Dubai residents and tourists have been on high alert as luxury hotels, residences and airports have been hit by falling debris from Iranian missile strikes.

The chaotic scenes and warnings against all but essential travel to Dubai have been countered by high-profile influencers living in the city, who have insisted to their thousands of followers they are in the “safest country in the world”.

However, behind the glamorous videos and messages of solidarity, influencers making a living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are curbed by increasingly tough laws under which people can be jailed for sharing “misinformation” or causing “public panic” on social media.

Experts who have helped foreign nationals arrested or prosecuted over social media posts in the UAE told The i Paper that “the laws are so broad that almost anyone can fall foul of them”.

‘This is what safety feels like’

Some 172 ballistic and eight cruise missiles, as well as 755 drones, have been intercepted by the UAE defence ministry since Saturday, according to official figures released earlier this week. But a number of buildings, including the US consulate and The Palm hotel have sustained damage.

However, a number of influencers have brushed off any sense of danger, with many posting videos with the same introduction: “You live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?”

In one viral video, influencer Juli E, who has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, posted footage of herself looking scared alongside the caption. The footage then cuts to Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, walking in slow motion with the words: “No, because I know who protects us.”

Similar videos were shared by Javid Shah, a finalist for Miss Middle East 2024, and influencers like Kanwal Khan, who describes himself as a licensed influencer in the country.

Famous faces like former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison appeared to be following the official line praising the regime.

She told her followers that the portrayal of “Dubai being bombed” was “hyperbolic”.

She said: “Currently what we’ve been advised through government channels is that they are intercepting missiles competently and efficiently and what has subsequently caused damage and tragically harm is falling debris.”

British model and influencer Petra Ecclestone posted in her Instagram stories: “This is what safety feels like. This is what resilience looks like. This is UAE.”

Luisa Zissman, a British reality TV star, said she could hear a fighter plan above her in the garden and “they’re so good at intercepting the missiles, I don’t know what they are”.

“Apparently the UAE has spent 1.6bn last night alone intercepting, surely Iran is going to run out soon? How much money have they got? The UAE has to have more. It’s like the safest country in the world.”

Kate Ferdinand, a former reality TV star from ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex, posted that she and her family are safe, adding: “The government are doing an amazing job of keeping it that way and despite my nerves I feel we are in very safe hands.”

Juli E dismissed accusations that she was paid by the UAE to post her viral video lauding the leadership, saying it was “just a silly little video idea” meant to be a “reassuring message” in “dark times”.

She said she is “paid” in safety and opportunities to grow her own business in Dubai that she could not have dreamed of in the UK.

But experts said the regime maintains an iron grip on how it is described on social media through tough laws that allow authorities to put dissenters behind bars.

Restrictive speech laws

Radha Stirling, a human rights lawyer and founder of Detained in Dubai, said the UAE has “some of the most restrictive speech laws in the world”.

Its cyber crime legislation criminalises any online content deemed to harm the reputation of the state, its institutions or its leadership.

She said: “In practice this means people can face arrest, prison sentences and huge fines for posts that would be considered ordinary commentary or journalism elsewhere.”

Authorities have recently warned that sharing “misinformation”, images of damage or anything that causes “public panic” during the current crisis could lead to up to two years in jail or heavy fines, Stirling added.

“That effectively means people are being told not to post anything that contradicts the official narrative,” she said.

“When residents know they could be jailed for what they share online, it inevitably shapes what the world sees coming out of the UAE. The laws are so broad that almost anyone can fall foul of them.”

Detained in Dubai have helped a number of foreign nationals who have been prosecuted or arrested over social media posts, including comments made during personal disputes, criticism of businesses or statements about government bodies.

Ahmed Mansoor, an activist in the UAE, was arrested and fined more than £200,000 in 2018 for using social media sites to “publish false information that damages the country’s reputation” and to “spread hatred and sectarianism”, according to local media reports.

Permit needed for influencers

Influencers in the UAE who want to monetise their content have to obtain a government-issued licence under rules that took effect last month.

Under the terms of the “advertiser permit”, publishing “false or misleading information” carries fines of 5,000 AED (£1,020) to 10,000 AED (£2,040).

For violations deemed to affect state interests or national security, the penalties range from 50,000 AED (£10,190) to 500,000 AED (£101,900), according to Gulf News.

“In that environment, the overwhelmingly positive portrayal of life in the UAE should not be surprising,” said Stirling.

“When criticism carries the risk of prison, people quickly learn what they can and cannot say.”

Dubai is known as the influencer capital of the world. There are an estimated 50,000 influencers in the city, who receive tax-free status and other perks from the state.

The state offers a 10-year golden visa aimed at social media influencers, which does not require a sponsor. The UAE funds Creators HQ, an initiative that provides everything from filming spaces to business networking opportunities.

Tanya Boulakovski, senior legal officer at MENA Rights Group, said anything influencers post about the conflict would be used against them.

“The UAE has counter-terrorism and security laws that have very vague and broad definitions of threats to the security of the country that are usually weaponised to crack down on freedom of expression,” she said.