Life in the once relatively free tourist attraction of Dubai has reportedly turned hellish amid the ongoing war in Iran, especially for expats.
Radha Stirling, a human rights activist and founder of Detained in Dubai, knows all about it.
“In recent days, we at Detained in Dubai have been inundated with cases of expats who have been detained after sharing images of drone strikes and explosions, even when those images were merely sent privately to family members simply to reassure them that they were safe,” Stirling wrote for a Daily Mail report published Tuesday.
“In several cases we have handled, authorities attended buildings in the aftermath, requesting access to residents’ phones and reviewing personal content on the spot. Those found to have taken photographs, even if never shared publicly, were arrested,” she added.
Dubai police arrest expats in hotel for sending pictures of Iranian drone strike to loved ones. pic.twitter.com/NJxVAPnhFQ
— SweetMarie (@Oceanbreeze473) March 17, 2026
The problem, it appears, is that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) wants the public to believe the war in Iran won’t affect them. But that’s not the reality on the ground, according to Stirling.
“It is ridiculous to claim Dubai is safe,” she explained. “People have been killed and injured, and residents are receiving ‘take cover’ alerts, sending them to shelter in car parks with their families. We are receiving calls all day from people trapped by travel bans over trivial matters like landlord disputes, desperately trying to get out to safety.”
The crazy thing about all this, she continued, is that none of this is new — that, despite all the pro-Dubai propaganda that’s always been pushed, the city has never been a beacon of freedom.
She explained that the reality in Dubai is that “a negative review can land you in prison” and that “victims of crime are often silenced through pressure, pay-offs or threats.”
Hell, just criticism — mere criticism — of the government in the UAE is illegal:
A 60-year-old British man was charged under cyber-crime laws in Dubai after allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.
The government exercises strict control over the flow of information in the country.
Criticism of the government is illegal in the UAE.
Try it and it will… pic.twitter.com/iA3px3ekNY— Tony (@TonyL_01) March 13, 2026
Why then do so many people believe otherwise? Because of all the propaganda pumped out directly by the UAE government and the influencers it hires to do its dirty work.
“Scroll through social media and you will see it everywhere: infinity pools, supercars, ‘safe streets’, and the promise of a better life,” Stirling wrote.
“Celebrities and high-profile entrepreneurs reinforce the narrative, and many expats feel pressure to promote Dubai in a positive light. What you won’t see are the legal realities that sit beneath that polished surface, the arbitrary detentions, human rights violations and even deaths in custody,” she added.
The Dubai influencer ‘propaganda’ wars: Social media stars are trolled over claims they’re being paid to post glowing messages about life in city with very cryptic messages pic.twitter.com/fiqnW9WHUY
— G R I F T Y (@GriftReport) March 11, 2026
Undergirding this “strict system of censorship” is what Stirling described as “sweeping cybercrime laws that govern not only what people say publicly, but what they share privately.”
She explained that under these laws, actions that would seem trivial in the West can wind up being a very big deal.
Such actions include “sending a message that contains profanity,” “sharing a post authorities later deem false, disagreeable or misleading, ” “posting a negative review about a company,” and “even complaining about poor customer service.”
“There have been cases of individuals detained over private WhatsApp messages exchanged between friends, spouses, flatmates or colleagues,” Stirling pointed out.
“Others have faced legal action for social media posts made years earlier, outside the UAE, only to be arrested upon arrival as happened to British national Laleh Shahravesh, detained in Dubai over Facebook comments written in the UK years earlier,” she continued explaining.
Stirling concluded her report by warning expats who just arrived in Dubai or who have been there awhile but don’t intend to leave to be very, very careful.
“The UAE is one of the most digitally surveilled countries in the world, where VPNs are illegal and even private messages can be scrutinised,” she wrote.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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