The suspicious posts that could prove Dubai influencers ARE being told what to say: How social media stars are praising ruler ‘who protects us’ in bizarre identical TikToks

As missiles rain down on the UAE, determined influencers insist they are standing firm and going about their daily lives in Dubai, with similarly quirky posts on social media.

An army of creators, including hundreds of thousands of followers, are sharing images of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and posting the seemingly reassuring words “I know who’s protecting us.”

At the start of the war, the government cracked down on those who rebroadcast actual footage of the initial attack, including drones or debris damaging the five-star Fairmont Hotel on Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, the iconic sail-shaped Dubai hotel, in flames.

Dubai Media Office announced a few hours after the initial attacks that ‘outdated footage of past fire incidents’ in Dubai had been spread to instill fear among the city’s residents and therefore garner clicks.

In a new viral TikTok trend, Influencers are sharing the same videos and texts, leading online users to speculate whether they are being paid by the government.

They usually start with a photo of the influencer with accompanying text: ‘You live in Dubai, aren’t you afraid?’ or ‘Do you feel safe in Dubai?’

It then cuts to a montage of the UAE leader saying, “No, because I know who’s protecting us.” One such video has been viewed nearly 7 million times.

Social media users claimed that the videos appeared to be sponsored by the government for propaganda purposes to make Dubai look like everything was fine.

One person commented that ‘influencers are working overtime trying to convince the rest of the world that everything is fine’, to which influencer Bea Albero responded, ‘we’re fine, that’s how I feel’.

They then cut to a montage of them all generally praising Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for keeping the city safe.

Online users were quick to comment that these videos appeared to be sponsored by the government for propaganda purposes.

One expert said it looked “suspicious” the videos were the same and may have started as a “paid trend”

Another wrote: ‘everyone is posting the same little clip saying it’s not propaganda’, to which Ms Albero responded by saying ‘it’s not because I really feel that way’.

User Chris Tighe then wrote ‘say something critical and they will come for you’, to which Ms Albero replied: ‘I have no idea about this.’

There are strict laws against criticizing or insulting the UAE government or causing “disrepute” to the country, which can result in a fine of up to £200,000 or imprisonment for up to five years and possible deportation.

If you own property there, this is a harsher penalty.

Few will talk about content laws, but Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University in Qatar, said the same videos were ‘suspicious’.

He could not confirm whether the influencers were paid, but believed these payments were made to highlight the outlook for security and stability in the country.

However, he highlighted that other (unpaid) influencers who recreated similar videos to appear patriotic may have also picked up on the trend organically.

Professor Jones said: ‘I’m not sure whether they are currently paid, but my expert opinion is that this started as a paid trend, an attempt to over-emphasise the security of Dubai as the perception of stability is so important to the country.

‘The problem is, when trends go viral, people copy them and they become a ‘trend’.

‘I also wonder if, in an authoritarian environment, people feel that posting such content is a way of marking themselves as patriots and disseminating information that will be viewed favorably by the authorities.

‘The fact that some of the clips are the same raises suspicion, but at the same time, the facilities provided by TikTok and Instagram allow ‘remixing’ with minimal changes.’

Dubai Government Media Center has been contacted for comment.

The social media trend comes a day after the Daily Mail reported that a British influencer in Dubai admitted he was more worried about being fined or jailed for posting ‘wrong’ content than about deadly explosives.

Ben Moss, from Wandsworth, said: ‘I feel completely safe here because of the UAE’s air defence, but the law can worry me sometimes so I always keep things positive.

‘I fear being fined or jailed for sharing false content more than I fear Iranian missiles and drones.’

These include videos of drone or missile attacks that anger the authoritarian state.

Influencers worry Ben Moss (pictured with girlfriend) could be fined or jailed for sharing ‘wrong’ content rather than outbursts

When the first waves of Iranian munitions were launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), lifestyle influencer Ben and his Iranian-born girlfriend Parisa, both 31, quickly jumped the gun from their luxury apartment in Ras Al Khaimah, the country’s closest point to Iran, and traveled 70 miles inland.

They pitched a tent near Hatta, the border post with neighboring Oman, which was largely unscathed by the current conflict.

‘We felt it was much safer being in Hatta and being on the move every night,’ said Ben. ‘We were really worried at first and also I had made the mistake of posting a picture of my flat online and it occurred to me that this could put us at risk.’

Ben received a clear text from Dubai Police (and all citizens) earlier in the week: ‘Photographing or sharing security or critical sites or republishing unreliable information may result in legal action and endanger national security and stability.

‘Cohesion helps keep the community safe and stable. ‘Your Safety is Our Happiness.’

He said he understands security concerns about releasing drone or missile interceptor videos and respects the government.

Ben, who has been in the UAE for nearly three years, admits his new career is a “weird way to make a living”, but his relentless enthusiasm enables him to continue striking “content” deals with businesses across the UAE.

He said he felt the current situation represented “an opportunity” for those like him who were ready to stay in the UAE “for the long term”.

He added: ‘After these events there will be a lot of people going home to the UK or other countries in Europe. This may leave a gap for the rest of us.

‘This could also reduce high property prices and hotels and resorts will need help with marketing to increase their numbers and that’s where people like me come in.’

“I see the market recovering within 24 months because people will now see the UAE as a safer place to live because they can defend themselves so magnificently etc. and once the Iranian regime is eliminated we will be living in a much safer region.”