"You live in Dubai, aren't you scared? No, because I know who protects us. The words appear 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."
"Social media 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."
"Influencer activity in Dubai is heavily regulated. Since mid-2025, the UAE Media Council has enforced mandatory licensing for social media influencers, further strengthening government oversight of the content they produce."
A viral video trend among Dubai influencers features expats in picturesque settings responding to questions about fear during regional geopolitical tensions. The videos show captions stating "No, because I know who protects us" alongside images of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. An AI-generated cover of "Papaoutai" accompanies the reels. Social media commenters questioned whether influencers were paid for the content, with some influencers denying compensation and claiming personal investment in Dubai. The UAE Media Council enforces mandatory licensing for social media influencers since mid-2025, strengthening government oversight of content production.
#dubai-influencers #uae-government-messaging #geopolitical-tensions #social-media-regulation #propaganda-content
Read at www.dw.com
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