As missiles rain down over the UAE, steadfast influencers insist they are undeterred and going about their daily lives in Dubai – with curious identical posts on social media.
An army of content creators with hundreds of thousands of followers between them are sharing images of Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while posting the seemingly reassuring words, ‘I know who protects us’.
At the outbreak of the war, the government cracked down on those reposting genuine footage of the first of the attacks, which included drones or debris causing damage at the five-star Fairmont Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah and the iconic sail-shaped Dubai hotel Burj Al Arab in flames.
The Dubai Media Office announced within a few hours of the first strikes that ‘outdated images of past fire incidents’ in Dubai were being spread to stoke fear among the city’s residents and thereby garner clicks.
In a new viral TikTok trend, influencers are sharing identical videos and text, leading users online to speculate whether they have been paid by the state.
They typically begin with a shot of the influencer, with accompanying text: ‘you live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?’ or ‘do you feel safe in Dubai?’.
It then cuts to the montage of the UAE leader with the words, ‘no, because I know who protects us’. One such video has been viewed nearly 7million times.
Social media users have been quick to suggest the videos appear as if they have been sponsored by the government as propaganda to make Dubai appear as if everything is okay.
One person commented, ‘influencers are doing overtime trying to convince the rest of the world it’s all okay’ to which influencer Bea Albero responded ‘we are ok, I feel this way’.
Influencers in Dubai have been posting identical videos emphasising the safety of the city which have been seen millions of times
They all then typically cut to a montage of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as they praise him for keeping the city safe
Users online have been quick to comment that these videos appear as if they have been sponsored by the government as propaganda
One expert said that it appeared ‘suspicious’ that the videos were identical and could have started out as a ‘paid trend’
Another wrote ‘everyone posting the same little clip saying it isn’t propaganda’, which Ms Albero replied saying ‘it is not dear I truly feel this way’.
User Chris Tighe then wrote ‘say something critical and they will come for you’ to which Ms Albero said ‘I have no idea about this’.
There are strict laws about criticising or insulting the UAE government or causing ‘reputational harm’ to the country which can result in fines of up to £200,000, or up to five years in prison, and possibly deportation.
It is a harsher sentence if you own property there.
Few influencers will speak about content laws, but Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University in Qatar, said the identical videos were ‘suspicious’.
He was unable to confirm whether the influencers were being paid but did believe there was a strong likelihood that they were in order to emphasise the appearance of safety and stability in the country.
However, he highlighted that the trend may have picked up organically with other – unpaid – influencers recreating similar videos to appear patriotic.
Professor Jones said: ‘At the moment I don’t know for sure if they are paid or not, but my expert opinion is that this started as a paid trend, an attempt to overemphasise the safety of Dubai since the perception of stability is so important for the country.
‘The issue is when trends go viral, people replicate them and they become just that, a “trend”.
‘I also wonder in an authoritarian context if people think posting such content becomes a way of flagging themselves as patriotic and spreading information that will be viewed positively by the authorities.
‘The fact that some of the clips are identical is suspicious, but also the affordances of TikTok and Instagram allow for ‘remixing’ while changing very little.’
The Government of Dubai Media Centre has been contacted for comment.
The social media trend comes a day after the Daily Mail revealed that a British influencer in Dubai admitted he’s more worried about being fined or jailed for posting the ‘wrong’ content than he is of the lethal explosives themselves.
Ben Moss from Wandsworth said: ‘I do feel completely safe here because of the UAE air defences, but the laws can sometimes concern me so I always keep everything positive.
‘I’m far more scared of being fined or jailed for posting the wrong content than I am of the Iranian missiles and drones.’
That would include videos of drone or missile strikes which anger the authoritarian state.
Influencers Ben Moss (pictured with his girlfriend) is more worried about being fined or jailed for posting the ‘wrong’ content than he is of explosions
When the first waves of Iranian ordnance was launched at the United Arab Emirates (UAE), lifestyle influencer Ben and his Iranian-born girlfriend Parisa, both 31, hot-footed it from their luxury flat in Ras Al Khaimah, the nearest point in the country to Iran, and travelled 70 miles inland.
They pitched a tent near Hatta, a border post with neighbouring Oman, which has largely remained unscathed in the current conflict.
‘We felt it was much safer to be in Hatta, keeping on the move each night,’ said Ben, ‘We were really worried at first, and I had also made the mistake of posting an image of my apartment online and it occurred to me that it could put us at risk.’
Ben received an unambiguous text he (and all citizens) received from the Dubai Police earlier in the week, which read: ‘Photographing or sharing security or critical sites, or reposting unreliable information, may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability.
‘Compliance helps keep the community safe and stable. Your Security is Our Happiness.’
He said he understands the security concerns about videos of drone or missile interceptions being posted and respects the government.
Ben, who has been in the UAE for around three years, admits that his new career is ‘a weird way to make a living’, but his endless enthusiasm keeps him going making ‘content’ deals with businesses across the UAE.
He said he feels the current situation represents ‘an opportunity’ for those like him who are prepared to stay in the UAE for the ‘long haul’.
He added: ‘There will be plenty of people who will head home after these events, to the UK or other countries in Europe. And that might leave a gap for the rest of us.
‘It may also bring down the high property prices and the hotels and resorts will need help with marketing to get their numbers up, and that’s where people like me come in.’
‘I do see the market bouncing back within 24 months, as people will now view the UAE as being an even safer place to live, given they can defend themselves in such a spectacular way, etc. and when the Iranian regime is hopefully removed, we will be living in a much safer region.’
