UAE residents defy 'paid influencer' smears: 'This is our home, not a narrative’

Dubai: In the midst of heightened regional tensions stemming from the US–Israel–Iran conflict, a remarkable show of solidarity has emerged from an unexpected quarter - the everyday residents of the UAE.

Across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, expatriates from dozens of nationalities have been vocally affirming their trust in the UAE's government and its military's capacity to protect them and, in doing so, have found themselves at the receiving end of a wave of international scepticism.

Critics from outside the UAE, predominantly from Western online communities have dismissed this groundswell of support as the work of 'government-orchestrated influencers', alleging that residents are being paid or directed to project an air of calm and confidence.

For the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people who have built their lives in the Emirates, the accusation has landed as an insult.

The UAE is home to one of the most diverse populations on the planet, comprising more than 200 nationalities.

The vast majority of its residents are not influencers or tourists drifting through - they are working-class and middle-class people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and beyond, who came to the Gulf in search of a better livelihood and who have, over years and decades, made the UAE genuinely their home. Many have raised children here. Many have built businesses here. Many have found community, identity, and purpose here.

It is this reality, expatriates insist, that outsiders consistently fail to grasp.

The lifestyle account @itstherobelife posted a statement on Instagram that has since been widely shared by residents across the country. 

“Dubai has been dragged into this because it gets attention, because it matters, because it is home to people from every corner of the world, over 200 nationalities living side by side, building and creating a life. For anyone trying to take shots at Dubai right now, it only shows how triggered they are.”

Denise Alexe, a stand-up comedian based in Dubai, offered a more personal perspective through her Instagram account. Recounting her observations of European media coverage, she noted a telling pattern - the further away people were from the UAE, the more perplexed and, she argued, irritated - they seemed by the loyalty on display.

"They are genuinely unsettled by how positive and composed people living here are. It's got to the point where they've started accusing content creators of being paid influencers or being instructed by the government to put out positive messaging. And I understand the confusion because it is genuinely difficult to comprehend how so many expatriates can feel such loyalty and devotion towards a country of which they are not citizens.

"But you would have to have lived through the UAE during the pandemic to understand it. When the UAE proved to you that it was going to take care of you that your safety was a priority - that changes something in you.”

“It’s not like people are not worried here,” she said, adding that residents simply believe their safety is a priority and trust the authorities to protect them.

Joule Sullivan, an Australian expatriate, known online as @thesartorialshooter, tackled the accusations with sharp satire. In a widely circulated video, he played along with the premise, before subverting it entirely.

"Dubai has paid me with so much - My children are being raised here in safety. I went from being broke to running a flourishing business, thanks to Dubai. I found my faith here [Islam] -which has made me a better father and a better man. Thanks to Dubai."

Sullivan later added a more direct note: "I'm going to keep speaking out against these negative narratives, because they simply aren't true. And if you don't like it, you can always block me.”

Similar sentiments have been echoed on X, where one user wrote that unless someone has lived in the UAE or is a citizen, they may never fully understand the attachment residents feel.

The post described the sense of relief and happiness many expatriates experience when boarding an Emirates flight bound for Dubai or seeing the skyline appear below as they land, calling the city “home”.

Nick Santonastasso, an American motivational speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Dubai, also shared his perspective. Born with Hanhart Syndrome, a rare condition that left him without legs, with an undeveloped right arm and one finger on his left hand, he spoke candidly about the situation.

He acknowledged that many residents are feeling anxious. However, he said the UAE’s response during the period of tension had strengthened his trust in its leadership. He pointed to the role of the Community Development Authority, which he said had proactively contacted elderly residents and people of determination to check on their wellbeing.

“It is the character of leadership that shows in times of crisis,” he said. “That makes me even more all in on the UAE.”

Santonastasso also said the conflict had made him reflect more deeply as an American, realising that for some communities around the world, living under threat is not unusual but part of daily life.