Enticement and Intimidation: UAE Citizenship as a Dual-Edged Tool

The arrest of Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram app, has brought the UAE’s practice of selectively granting citizenship and residency back into the spotlight. Abu Dhabi authorities use these privileges as both an enticement and a tool of intimidation, leveraging them to serve their interests.

French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, who holds both French and Emirati citizenship, in Paris on August 24 on charges of cybercrimes, which he denies.

In response, Abu Dhabi swiftly called for his release and requested “urgent” consular assistance for Durov, who was granted UAE citizenship in 2021 after residing there since 2017. That same year, the UAE revoked the citizenship of over 15 native Emirati families, some of whose members had been detained for advocating political reforms in the country.

However, it appears that achievements, talent, and investment are not the sole factors determining the granting of Emirati citizenship. The case of Pavel Durov marks the first instance in which Abu Dhabi has shown significant interest in one of its newly naturalized citizens, likely due to his leadership of the Telegram encryption empire, which he operates from the UAE.

While the citizenship law justifies its extension to foreigners—who will inevitably influence national identity—by retaining talented individuals, experts, and award winners to support the country’s development, a more just approach would be to release the detained citizens who have contributed to the foundation and growth of the state since its inception. Instead of stripping them and their families of citizenship, these individuals should be acknowledged for their role in shaping the UAE into what it is today.
The revocation of citizenship from native Emiratis and their families has become a favored tactic of the state authorities. Over the past decade, citizenship has been stripped from numerous families while new citizens are naturalized in an effort to suppress dissent and secure new security, political, or economic advantages.

Many of those impacted by this practice are either defendants in the “UAE 84” trial or their relatives, or individuals who refused to serve as informants or spies for the State Security Agency.

For over a decade, the authorities have arrested numerous intellectuals, businesspeople, former officials, legal experts, and educators—many of whom played a pivotal role in building the UAE before its formation. However, their calls for political reform have led to their imprisonment.

The trial, the second-largest mass political trial in the UAE’s history, ended in July with at least 43 defendants sentenced to life in prison on spurious charges after being convicted in 2013 on similar charges and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison.

The majority of those arrested and convicted were targeted for expressing their opinions online. The UAE is regarded as one of the most restrictive countries when it comes to freedom of speech, online expression, and debate, where even the slightest criticism is treated as a criminal offense.

The UAE is ranked poorly as a “not-free” country in terms of internet freedom in 2024, according to Freedom House. This makes Pavel Durov’s presence in the UAE, along with his advocacy for free speech and an open internet, a notable anomaly in a country known for strict online censorship.

According to Al-Monitor, Pavel Durov’s arrest raises concerns about Telegram’s potential sharing of user data with governments. As a staunch advocate for free speech, Durov has consistently refused to share user information or intelligence with any country, including Russia, his homeland, a stance that prompted his departure from the country.

“Telegram has become a repository of sensitive national security information for many nations, largely due to its unique features,” explained Marco Mossad.

French authorities have scrutinized certain features of the app, particularly its ability to host groups of up to 200,000 members, as well as the ease of sharing links and large files with little oversight from Telegram.

Telegram operates under a low profile in the UAE, where its employees are required to remain anonymous and avoid professional social media platforms like LinkedIn.

Pavel Durov has previously stated that he would only comply with government requests when legally mandated, as demonstrated by his resistance to Moscow’s demands for data, which led him to leave Russia in 2014.

Marco Mossad explained, “In France, this falls under the European Union’s Digital Services Act of 2022, which obligates social media companies to share critical information. Therefore, it is likely that Durov will only share intelligence with the UAE if explicitly required by law, and even then, he will limit the extent of compliance to the minimum necessary.”

UAE laws mandate that companies, regardless of their size, must provide any information deemed necessary by the security apparatus. These laws include broad provisions that grant authorities extensive powers to access any information they require.

There is a lack of transparency regarding who has been granted UAE citizenship. As highlighted by the case of Pavel Durov, talent alone is not the primary criterion for granting citizenship to foreigners. Instead, the decision is often influenced by the potential strategic benefits to Abu Dhabi, particularly concerning intelligence and security interests.

In 2023, Erik Prince, the former CEO of Blackwater who resided in Abu Dhabi and provided private security services to the UAE, faced a similar situation. An Austrian court accused him of exporting a remanufactured crop duster for military purposes. Prince, a controversial figure and staunch supporter of former US President Donald Trump, found himself in legal trouble akin to Durov’s.

A security source close to Erik Prince told Al-Monitor: “For the UAE, simply bringing in money isn’t enough. From Abu Dhabi’s viewpoint, there’s more at play. They might consider using individuals like Prince as a back channel or even a proxy, especially given his connections with Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.”

The case of Pavel Durov, which is under formal investigation in France, underscores the UAE’s strategic efforts to protect its citizens. The UAE has successfully conveyed a message of commitment to safeguarding its nationals, achieving its intended public relations objective.

However, Durov’s situation also raises broader concerns about the UAE’s citizenship laws. It suggests that the interest in naturalized individuals often hinges not on the principles of citizenship but on strategic intelligence, political, and military considerations. Additionally, it highlights the disparity in citizenship rights, as Emiratis with deep ancestral ties to the country have had their citizenship revoked, rendering them stateless simply for expressing their opinions.

The opposition site UAE71 emphasized that Emirati citizenship was historically not granted to foreigners, with strict laws designed to preserve national identity. Citizenship applicants were required to be of Arab origin, have resided in the UAE for decades, and renounce their previous nationality.

However, new amendments introduced between 2017 and 2021 allow citizenship to be granted “by government recommendation” with additional criteria focused on investment, talent, and notable achievements recognized by the government.

Marco Mossad, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Policy Council in Washington, DC, told Al-Monitor that the UAE seeks to signal its commitment to protecting its citizens globally, a strategy aimed at attracting talented individuals to conduct business in the country.