The Guardian: UAE presents itself as tolerant while practicing repression
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth has faced backlash for appearing in a polished advertisement promoting Abu Dhabi as a prime tourist destination in collaboration with the UAE government, making him the latest celebrity to lend their influence to promote the Gulf state.
Hemsworth stars in the one-minute video alongside his wife, actress and model Elsa Pataky, which they shared on their Instagram pages on Wednesday. The ad was also posted on the official Experience Abu Dhabi account.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the UAE for investing in a strategy to present itself as progressive and tolerant while simultaneously repressing political dissent.
The promotional video starts with Hemsworth and Pataky pretending to shoot an action movie. During a break, hanging from the side of a building, Hemsworth tells his wife, “I could really use a vacation right now,” to which she agrees, “Yeah, me too.” The video transitions between the fictional movie set and scenes of the couple enjoying various Abu Dhabi tourist spots with their children, including kayaking, desert horseback riding, and surfing.
The advertisement was launched on the same day that Albania announced the completion of a free trade agreement with the UAE, lifting tariffs on almost all Australian exports to the Gulf state, despite concerns over its treatment of migrant workers.
The Australian Labor Union criticized the agreement, calling the UAE one of the most repressive countries with which any Australian government has signed a bilateral trade deal. The trade union further highlighted the UAE’s human rights abuses, particularly regarding migrant workers, with 90% of the workforce being foreign nationals.
Fans criticized Hemsworth, known for his role in the “Thor” film series, for promoting the UAE without addressing concerns about human rights. Professor Justin Nolan from the Australian Institute of Human Rights stated that the ad was part of a deliberate strategy to portray a different image of the UAE than the reality on the ground.
Nolan noted that despite some progress, many people in the UAE, due to their gender, race, or sexual orientation, are still treated as second-class citizens.
Amnesty International expressed concern over the country’s human rights violations, including the government’s suppression of free speech, protests, and political opposition, through arbitrary detention, imprisonment, and in some cases, torture of political prisoners.
Hemsworth and Pataky are not the first celebrities to face criticism for promoting tourism in the Gulf region. Last year, actress Rebel Wilson also faced backlash for attending the opening of the Atlantis Royal Hotel in Dubai and promoting her trip on social media.
