The safe city. There royal family who walks in shopping centers and works for defend all citizens. Clear and regular safety warnings. The image of Dubai that its gurus have left on social media was more than inspiring a doubt. Two weeks after the attacks in Iran began, the picture that is emerging is different. One of the first voices to denounce how things are Radha Stirlingpresident of Detained in Dubai. We are talking about an association founded in London in 2008 which deals with protecting foreigners arrested in the city of United Arab Emirates.
On his social networks, Stirling is recounting the cases of people reported in Dubai after posting images on social media of rockets and drones crossing the sky to hit Dubai buildings. Second Radha Stirling at the moment there are 45 people reported for these contents. In this list there would also be European tourists, including a 60 year old English man.
Stirling explains that you don’t need to share photos on social media to be attacked, just that is enough take them and keep them on the phone: “A domestic worker originally from the Philippines was stopped near the tower Burj Al Arab after taking a photo: he was waiting to go to work.”
The photos you are seeing of the war in Iran are not all true: we looked for where they come from
Dubai guidelines on images to be published on social media
We can still read the directions here Gulf Newsan English-language newspaper linked to Al Tayer Grouprun by a former Emirati finance minister. In an article published on March 15 it explains that the main reason why it is banned film the impact of rockets and drones over the city of Dubai is not linked to the image of the city but to the its safety.
The article seems to be based on the indications of Emirati authorities: “’A seemingly innocuous image could reveal sensitive details such as nearby streets, entrances, exits or transit routes, potentially putting lives at risk and hindering emergency operations.” And again: “The authorities have warned that such material could be analyzed by hostile groups looking for potential targets.”
Of course, in the last 10 years we have not seen the same caution when social media has been inundated with thousands of accounts based in Dubai where all the corners of the city were shown, explaining how it was a perfect destination for working or investing. But there’s more. Gulf News confirmed the data on people arrested for photographing i explosion sites: “The Criminal Investigation Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police said that 45 people of various nationalities have been arrested for filming the locations of ongoing incidents and posting the footage online.”
