Dubai influencers spin the positives as missiles rain down

Dubai influencers spin the positives as missiles rain down (The Times)

With its luxury hotels, white-sand beaches and lack of income tax, influencers in Dubai usually find no shortage of things to post about. This week, as Iranian missiles and drones targeted the United Arab Emirates, they were discussing another topic: the safety and security of their homes.

An initial surge of drone and missile videos on social media was swiftly followed by warnings from the Dubai authorities that those sharing “misinformation” risked imprisonment.

A stream of supportive content has flowed forth, including videos of the Emirati president in the Dubai Mall and posts thanking the UAE for securing their welfare.

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Dubai’s government-owned media office has maintained a calm narrative, posting videos on X, Facebook and Instagram with the caption: “In Dubai, life flows with confidence. Safety is our strength.”

On Monday evening it shared a video of the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, strolling through Dubai Mall accompanied by Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai. It was captioned: “Close to the people. Steady in leadership.”

Thousands of social media users shared video of the same event, including several British influencers living in Dubai. On TikTok and Instagram, hundreds have participated in a recent trend that asks whether people are scared to live in Dubai, then cuts to video of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, with the caption: “No, because I know who protects us.”

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Dima Samaro, executive director at Skyline International for Human Rights, which advocates for digital freedoms, said: “These trends where creators use official footage to project stability show how the narrative is being funnelled into a curated, state-controlled version of reality. These measures go far beyond stopping rumors … [They] make it impossible to verify the true impact of the crisis on the ground.”