UAE Social Media Influencers: Pawns of the Country

The second edition of the ‘One Billion Followers Summit’ held in the Emirates has reignited focus on Abu Dhabi’s network of social media influencers, highlighting their role in executing its strategic agenda.

According to observers, the UAE continues to use influencers (Emirati and Arab) to justify its laws that are devoid of society and the morals of Islam, and its policy that is far from the national and Arab consensus.

Leading this initiative is the Emirati move towards normalizing relations with Israel, establishing full diplomatic ties without evident justification, and aligning closely with Israeli positions, notably in support of Tel Aviv during the conflict in Gaza.

This exposed it to a lot of criticism at the level of citizens as well as all Arab peoples, which prompted it to use its influential pawns, whom Abu Dhabi funded and supported.

Normalization is advanced through discourse advocating coexistence with Israelis, legitimizing the occupation’s actions against Palestinians, sowing doubt regarding the Palestinian cause, challenging the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and undermining the national Palestinian struggle and consensus.

One of the most prominent of these tools is the “Nas Daily” program, presented by Naseer Yassin, who describes himself as an Israeli first, with funding from the Emirati “New Media Academy”, which the “Palestinian National Committee for Boycott” (BDS) accused of being a platform that represents… “In explicit complicity with Israeli efforts to invade the minds of the Arab peoples and gloss over Israel’s crimes.”

The “New Media Academy” has also provided funding for “Nas Academy,” where Israelis are involved in supervisory and training roles under the leadership of Israeli figure “Jonathan Bellick.”

In a prior statement, the Palestinian National Committee for Boycott highlighted that the backing extended by the UAE to this questionable platform signifies direct involvement in Israeli attempts to influence our communities and whitewash the crimes of the settler-colonial system and Israeli apartheid. Moreover, it serves to promote the normalization agreement between Abu Dhabi and the Israeli occupation.

The statement elaborated that the “Nas Daily” show hosted by content creator Nuseir Yassin, known for its normalization agenda and the creation of soft, normalized content, detaches Israel from its genuine context of crime and ethnic cleansing. Consequently, it aids the Israeli occupation’s endeavors to assert itself as a legitimate entity.

Apart from the Zionist digital platform present in the Arab world, Emirati influencer Anas Bukhash hosts the program “ABTalks,” which actively promotes normalization with Israel through diverse approaches. Additionally, it is criticized for belittling the Emirati intellect and concentrating on trivial topics, while deliberately avoiding discussions concerning the concerns of Emirati citizens and instead favoring shallow entertainment.

Similarly, the utilization of domestic influencers involves the hosting of 3,000 influencers, each representing their respective country or region where their language is spoken. These influencers serve foreign policy objectives in their regions, notably enhancing the UAE’s international reputation and rationalizing it, despite the damage caused by Abu Dhabi’s policies regionally and globally.

A new study indicates that Abu Dhabi was behind a major social media campaign to improve its online image for a younger generation.

At the recent climate conference (COP28), it also paid money to influencers on social media to enhance its image as an environmental country and improve its image with reports confirming its violation of freedom of opinion and expression in the country.

“They know what they need to offer to remain relevant in the 21st century,” the study says of UAE officials.

The exact amount the state invests in influencers to enhance its image remains undisclosed. However, the earmarking of 150 million dirhams for content creators underscores the considerable political interest in this already influential industry.

According to the official Gulf News newspaper, 94% of influencers in the UAE receive salaries ranging between $1,000 and $5,000 per post, while for the remaining 6%, the price of one post may reach more than $10,000.

The One Billion Followers Summit was held in conjunction with sharp criticism by international human rights organizations of the reality of freedoms in the Emirates, most notably freedom of expression on the Internet.

About 7,000 guests participated in the forum – which the government is promoting as the largest for digital content makers on social media – including 3,000 content makers and influencers from different countries of the world, and 100 CEOs, followed by more than 1.6 billion people, officials and content creation companies.

Observers collectively concurred that the assembly of numerous influencers, substantial financial investments to accommodate them, and the allocation of an extra 150 million dirhams to bolster a specific fund for “content creators” have unveiled the true intentions behind the forum. Contrary to its portrayal as a gathering fostering intercultural exchange and storytelling, the predominant perception is that most engagements are deemed superficial, revealing alternative motives.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen a remarkable rise in social media. It has empowered regular individuals to swiftly gain fame or establish significant brands, solely due to their extensive reach and large follower counts.

As a result, Abu Dhabi, along with commercial enterprises, aims to utilize them as channels to implement its policies both domestically and internationally. They are regarded as digital operatives serving its interests, subject to its direction and timing.

Before 2015, influencers were distrusted by the state, seen as having personal agendas, and potentially adversarial on social media. Given their association with demands for rights and freedoms during the Arab uprisings of 2011, which were viewed as tools for criticizing authoritarian regimes, Abu Dhabi regarded influencers with hostility.

However, currently, it appears that Abu Dhabi has altered its approach by utilizing social media platforms and influencers to disseminate its agendas.

According to the data, 3 out of every 4 UAE residents follow an influential person on social media, especially in the age group from 18 to 40 years.

This specific group, comprised of young citizens, is under close surveillance by security authorities, with thousands of accounts being monitored. These individuals boldly critique state policies, advocate for political involvement, and push for the “Federal National Council” to genuinely serve the people’s interests rather than merely acting as a token of democracy for the government.

In addition, they criticize the government’s decisions and policies, regarding living conditions, the future of public employment, rights and freedoms issues, monitoring public funds, and normalization with Israel.

This has led the government to adopt digital content creators who maintain a neutral stance towards politics and instructed them to avoid discussing societal issues, restricting their content to entertainment purposes only.

Simultaneously, security authorities have taken measures to silence content creators and influencers who express even the slightest principles or public concerns, along with those who illuminate their society’s challenges and grievances. These figures are now required to obtain licenses, contingent upon approval from security entities, to limit their influence and proactively mitigate their expanding reach. 

Government officials, including politicians and security personnel, consistently emphasize the importance of influential individuals in the country adhering to the digital, content industry, and media laws. These laws are known to penalize even the slightest criticism or the publication of local stories outside official channels.

Moreover, they underscore what they perceive as safeguarding the state’s reputation, a broad term often invoked within the country’s infamous laws. These laws are frequently utilized by security services to detain and prosecute social media bloggers.

During summits and conferences related to content makers and influencers, officials repeatedly direct them to the laws of the UAE and the penalties imposed on criticism and warn them “not to stir up strife,” as happened in the “One Billion Followers Summit” held last week.

Despite the amount of spending on this industry – politically and commercially – it is considered one of the “worst professions” in the UAE, which is a shock to these influential people.

A study indicates that 25% of the country’s population believes that they are untrustworthy, which places them fourth among the worst professions in the country.