A video trend is going viral among Dubai influencers. The reels show an expat enjoying a picturesque moment in the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while a caption appears, asking: “You live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?”Ā ā€” referring to current regional geopolitical tensionsĀ amid the US-Israel war with Iran.Ā Ā
TheĀ caption that followsĀ always offers the sameĀ answer: “No, because I know who protects us.” The words appearĀ on top of images of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, as well as his son, Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates.
A melodramatic pop hit accompanies all those reels: “Papaoutai (Afro Soul),” an AI-generated cover of the original song written and recorded by Belgian artist Stromae. The lyrics translate as: “Tell me, where is your dad? Without even having to speak to him, he knows what’s wrong.”
Social mediaĀ commenters were quick to notice the many variations of the video format on their feeds, asking the influencers how much they were paid to post the propaganda content.
“Paid? I actually invest here,” replied Gabriella Magalhaes, one of the influencers who posted the video with images of herself enjoying the view from her apartment.
“Have you all become crazy?” says Ina Aogo, a German influencer outraged by people asking her why everyone in Dubai is posting the same thing. “Do you really believe we’ve received a briefing?”
Damage control to protect a brand
Influencer activity in Dubai is heavily regulated.Ā Since mid-2025, the UAE Media Council has enforced mandatoryĀ licensing for social media influencers, further strengthening government oversight of the content they produce.
Following Iran’s retaliatory strikes that hit key infrastructure across the country on Saturday, the UAEĀ reminded the populationĀ ā€” and Dubai influencersĀ ā€”Ā thatĀ “spreading rumors or unverified information in the UAE is a crime punishable by law.”
A PR campaign has been launched in an attemptĀ to protect the Emirates’Ā reputation,Ā which spent decades building its image as a safe and luxurious business haven.
Influencers also play a vital role in promoting this image.
While the city was under missile fire, some influencers simply continued to post their “money-making” content, includingĀ beauty or luxury lifestyle videos.
Others shared their shock, posting videos of themselves reacting in panic, as tourism landmarks were rocked by the explosions on Saturday. Dubai International Airport was damaged. Debris from intercepted drones caused a fire at the Burj Al Arab ultra-luxury hotel. There was also a fire outside the Fairmont hotel on the prestigious man-made Palm Jumeirah island.
Since then, Dubai authorities and PR firms have been countering panic by highlighting the effectiveness of the UAE’s air defense systems.
Following the attacks, they emphasized that the air defenses had managed to destroy nearly all of theĀ 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones that had hit the UAEĀ within 24 hours, noting that the incidents and injuries remained under controlĀ and were mainly caused by the debris falling from the UAE-intercepted drones.
This messaging was reflected in some of the influencers’ content. German reality TV star Aleks Petrovic warned his followers against “fake news.” While he admitted having heard “six or seven explosions during the night,” he added that “those were from the rockets that were intercepted and exploded each time. That naturally causes a bang, and pieces of debris fall down.”
The Dubai Media Office warned on Saturday against reposting “old videos and images of past fires in Dubai.”
“We confirm that these are false and misleading,” the office said in a statement, emphasizing that “publishing or republishing such material exposes the perpetrators to legal accountability under the laws of the country.”
The UAE Public Prosecution also released a statement warning that anyone who posted or reposted footage from “unknown sources” could face a fine of AED200,000 (ā‚¬46,000, $54,000) and imprisonment of not less than one year.
‘I don’t know what I’m allowed to say’
A report by NTV media shows Instagram reels of distressed Dubai-based German influencers commenting on the scope of their freedom of speech:Ā “I don’t know what I’m allowed to say and what I’m not allowed to say,” noted Nathalie Bleicher-Woth, while another,Ā Zara Secret,Ā admitted, “We’re not allowed to post anything! I had to delete everything.” These stories and reels have since been deleted.
The population of the Emirate of Dubai has surpassed 4 million residents, and around 90% of them are foreigners.
Even though the physical damage of the attacks is minimal, the psychological impact of the conflict on these expats can have deep repercussions, according toĀ Jim Krane, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.Ā
“It’s hard to overstate the peril for Dubai’s economic model,” KraneĀ told press agency Reuters. “Dubai’s status as a safe-haven for expatriates and their businesses is in increasing doubt. The longer the war continues, the more intense the search will be for alternative locations. Dubai ā€‹needs this war to wrap up now. International capital is highly mobile.”
Ultra-wealthy influencers promote Dubai after attacks
Dubai is also renowned as aĀ topĀ tax-free haven, which has also enticed entrepreneurs and millionaires to invest in Emirate properties.
Various wealthy publicĀ figures went viral on the platform X for their comments on current events in Dubai.
Andrew Tate, theĀ influencer accused of human trafficking andĀ rape, posted a video of himself dancing on the manicured lawn of his riverside house, with the caption: “Me in Dubai while the bombs fall.”
Malaysian commentator Ian Miles Cheong, who is known for posting far-right comments on the platform, shared a video of himself on March 1 at a nightclub, “It’s 3 am in a Dubai club right now and the place is alive. You can’t beat this city,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, posted on X:Ā “Unfortunately, I had to leave Dubai for Europe ā€” so I’m not only missing the free fireworks from Iran, but also exposing myself to greater risk. Given Europe’s crime rates, Dubai is statistically safer even with missiles flying. Can’t wait to be back.”
“No country is perfect, but Dubai and UAE broadly are objectively safer and better run than many areas of Europe,” added Elon Musk in a comment to Durov’s post.
Edited by: Sarah Hucal