UAE: A History of Involvement in Espionage and Widespread Surveillance Tactics
For many years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has blatantly ignored the rule of law and individual freedoms, accumulating a history marked by the use of invasive surveillance and espionage tactics against critics and opponents, both within its borders and internationally.
The UAE leadership, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has faced allegations of utilizing sophisticated electronic surveillance technologies to hack into the phones, emails, and digital communications of activists, journalists, and even foreign government officials.
Such electronic espionage violates the privacy and rights of those targeted, posing a wider threat to global security and undermining democratic processes around the world.
The UAE’s readiness to engage in these activities signals a deliberate attempt to dismantle the core values of free speech, political opposition, and accountability—essential pillars of democratic societies.
Experts stress that the UAE’s repressive tactics go beyond its national boundaries, extending through the use of covert agents, mercenaries, and by manipulating international law enforcement frameworks.
The UAE’s aggressive authoritarianism abroad mirrors its tight control over domestic politics, where any form of dissent or opposition is swiftly crushed.
Activists, journalists, and ordinary Emiratis who dare to criticize the regime face severe repercussions, including imprisonment, torture, and other grave human rights abuses.
The UAE’s oppressive strategies are not confined to just political opponents and activists—they are also aimed at anyone seen as a threat to its interests, including foreign businesspeople operating within the nation.
Two particular cases highlight the significant dangers of conducting business in the UAE and the regime’s flagrant disregard for due process and human rights, even when it comes to foreigners.
Ryan Cornelius, a British entrepreneur, and Zack Shahin, an American executive, both became victims of arbitrary detention in separate incidents. Cornelius was detained in 2008 on charges of fraud related to a real estate development project in Dubai.
Despite the absence of any evidence and a declaration by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calling for his immediate release, Cornelius remains incarcerated under severe conditions in the UAE.
Cornelius is just one of many expatriates who have found themselves imprisoned in Dubai, ensnared by a legal system that is frequently manipulated by the country’s powerful elites.
This also includes Zack Shahin, a former executive at a prominent real estate company in Dubai, who was arrested in 2008 on charges of embezzlement, even though there was no direct evidence linking him to the allegedly stolen funds.
Shahin has been imprisoned for an extended period, enduring harsh conditions despite numerous calls from the international community, including the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, demanding his release.
The UAE’s disregard for the rule of law has fueled its transnational repression efforts beyond its borders. While the UAE carefully constructs an image of prosperity and economic development through a costly public relations campaign led by Western PR firms and lobbying groups, it harshly punishes any criticism of its well-documented human rights violations.
Abu Dhabi has managed to do this not only through a strategically crafted PR image but also by placing UAE officials in key positions within influential international organizations, such as Interpol, in order to amplify its influence, minimize international scrutiny, and safeguard its own domestic and international interests.
A notable example of this is the rise of Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi—an Emirati official accused of complicity in torture during his time in the Ministry of Interior—who was elected president of Interpol, an organization designed to enhance international police collaboration.
Experts warn that these tactics are a serious threat to democratic principles and human rights.
The UAE’s international campaign of surveillance and suppression of dissent includes covert operations like Project Raven, a secret program where former U.S. intelligence agents were hired to assist UAE authorities in monitoring governments, militants, and human rights activists critical of the monarchy, as reported by Reuters in 2019.
Another tool in the UAE’s espionage arsenal, known as Karma, allowed the regime to hack into the iPhones of activists, diplomats, and rival foreign leaders. This malicious software provided the UAE with unfettered access to monitor the communications and movements of its perceived adversaries worldwide, all while keeping it concealed.
Additionally, the UAE has engaged in smear campaigns and harassment of organizations and individuals who criticize its human rights record. Islamic Relief Worldwide, a prominent international charity based in the UK and working with the United Nations, USAID, and European governments, became the target of a coordinated media campaign accusing it of ties to terrorism.
The UAE funded this campaign through a private intelligence firm in Geneva, after the government included Islamic Relief on its list of “terrorist organizations”—a claim the charity strongly refutes. This pattern of international intimidation underscores the lengths to which Abu Dhabi is willing to go in order to silence any potential threat to its interests.
